Academic Potential

Mind/Shift highlights the importance of working memory in efficient learning. While not all students need working memory training, one program has shown positive impacts on reading scores. Read the article

This NY Times article explores the research on whether or not brain training can make you smarter. The punchline: there's nothing out there that will make you innately smarter, but there are clear things you can do to help children reach their innate potential. Read the article

The Stanford Center on Longevity and the Berlin Max Planck Institute for Human Development offers this nuanced evaluation of brain-training games advertised to the public, and specifically to older adults, as means to improve memory and cognitive functions. The article states, “The consensus of the group is that claims promoting brain games are frequently exaggerated and at times misleading.” However, the article notes, “These conclusions do not mean that the brain does not remain malleable, even in old age.” Read the article

This article explains the latest research evaluating the effectiveness of brain training programs for children with ADHD or other attention issues. According to the researcher, "We found that these treatments are not effective for treating children with ADHD. They don't improve ADHD symptoms or behavior, they don't improve academic achievement, and in many cases do not improve the cognitive functions they claim to target." Read the article

This scholarly article from the Journal, Brain and Cognition cautions parents to be wary of some of the marketing around brain training and explains which cognitive areas are likely to have the greatest positive impact from the exercises. Read the article

This is an in-depth article from The New York Times that looks at popular brain training programs such as Learning Rx and Lumosity. The article examines the commercial, scientific, and anectodal aspects of the growing industry, as well as how parents have turned to it, sometimes at great expense. Read the article

This is a good critical review of the research on brain training from Scientific American. The author says that the broad claims of success from such training are probably exaggerated, but there is evidence that brain training could help some people improve working memory, an important cognitive skill. Read the article

This is a good article on the effectiveness of brain training from a leading non-profit, National Center for Learning Disabilities. We link directly to page two because it provides a good summary table of seven potential benefits of these programs as well as concerns or downsides.

This article from Science-Based Medicine does a comprehensive analysis of brain training. The evidence of effectiveness is decidedly mixed and improvements will depend on the type and severity of your child's weaknesses. In addition, the research indicates that paper-and-pencil games are equally effective. Read the article

This piece from the NY Times questions the validity of the claims made by brain training companies. As a Duke neuroscience professor explains at the end of the article, “I’m not convinced there is a huge difference between buying a $300 subscription to a gaming company versus you yourself doing challenging things on your own..." Read the article

A Berkeley professor explains the potential benefits of training teachers in cognitive neuroscience. She explains that although applications have been limited so far, the field has enormous potential for improving learning outcomes. Read the article

Brainpickings explores the history of intelligence testing, including the cultural implications and biases and the role of genetics. This is an overview of what one will find in a book called The Gene. Read the article

A research study investigates the impact of gender and other types of diversity on group performance. Research showed that the individual abilities of group members dominates any diversity effects. Read the article

Parents see a side of their child that the rest of the world never does. If you are concerned that your child might need additional school support, use this Mindprint observation checklist as a starting to point to understand the root cause of your child's difficulties. It will help you to discuss your concerns with the teacher, child study team, or doctor if you decide you need to take the next step. Read the article

This American Psychological Association cover article explains the value of intelligence tests, also known as IQ or cognitive ability tests. It explains the history of the tests, validity and reliability, and the pre-cautions when using them to evaluate children. Read the article

In this Atlantic article, renowned educational research Daniel Willingham explains the differences between working and episodic memory as well as fluid and crystallized intelligence (though he doesn't call them out by name). He uses these explanations to demonstrate the importance of choosing and structuring the delivery of curriculum so that students not only learn what is important but also are more likely to remember it. Read the article

This journal article from the American Psychological Association was published in response to criticisms about standardized IQ tests. The authors concluded that while cognitive assessments may not measure all the different aspects of intelligence (creativity, emotional, etc.) and they should not be the only factor to consider in evaluating student ability, they remain the most reliable, valid, and objective measure of a student's academic potential. Read the article

This article from Understood.org does a nice job explaining what psychologists mean by the term "learning strengths" and why they matter. The key takeaway is that children learn differently and it is important to understand how a child learns best and present material accordingly. Read the article

This post asks us to explore the concept of intelligence more broadly, especially given the importance that intelligence has on life outcomes. The author emphasizes the importance of creative problem solving, or flexible thinking, and the ability to teach this skill in the classroom. Note that Mindprint does assess flexible thinking, but that the research is inconclusive on to what extent this skill, like all cognitive skills, can be taught. Read the article

This is a fantastic primer that lists the professionals associated with conducting educational assessments and helps parents understand their ability to make a diagnosis. For example, the author reminds parents, “…many of these professionals can suspect LD and/or ADHD but all are not licensed, or have the needed certifications to diagnose the disorders.” Read the article

The 10,000-hour rule, theorizing that it takes that many hours of practice to reach an expert level of performance or mastery is under scrutiny in this article. Cognitive psychologists found large discrepancies in the number of hours of practice it took for chess players to attain, “master status”. One player needed 22 times more deliberate practice than another player, suggesting genes and other factors play large roles than practice. Read the article

This Educated Mom post looks at the Founder and CEO of Mindprint, Nancy Weinstein, who used her experience in business, technology and parenting to bring a new product to the educational technology scene. In this profile, we hear from her about the process of developing Mindprint and what she’s learned along the way that may help other parents. Read the article

This post in The Educated Mom gives the essential information about psycho-educational evaluations. Parents who believe their children may benefit from a more specific understanding of their learning process will find this post extremely helpful, whether seeking the evaluation and assessment at school or through an outside provider. Read the article

This is a valuable post in The Educated Mom that provides a Q&A with child psychologist, Wendy Matthews. Dr. Matthews explains what a Cognitive Assessment is and how parents can utilize the information it provides to help better understand and support their children’s learning. Read the article

This article ,written by the authors of the book Nurture Shock, debunks some myths and provides evidence that early childhood screening tools are unreliable predictors of success in late elementary school. The authors are quick to point out that ability tests remain a better predictor than any of the alternatives, but that the nature of child brain development effectively limits the insight into a child's potential. Read the article

Parents who believe their child may be gifted but "misunderstood" can read this quick Q&A from the Davidson Institute on misdiagnosis, "a mismatch between the child’s actual learning and health needs and the perception of those needs by others." Read the article

This is a good article for parents who want to determine if their child has a learning difference. As the author states, "The key to identifying LD is therefore to identify areas of strength and weakness.. hone in on the very specific nature of the struggle, so that timely decisions can be made about carefully targeted intervention and support." Read the article

This article written by a reading specialist emphasizes the importance of identifying learning differences early. The author also explains the Response to Intervention (RTI) program, which is intended to screen for such differences before children slip behind or become discouraged. Read the article

This article from Science Daily summarizes a large study on math achievement among 5th-10th graders in Germany. While innate intelligence may influence math achievement in early years, study habits and confidence become far more important as students get older. Read the article

This article from Scientific American explains how strong visual-spatial abilities, abilities often used by scientists, are under-emphasized on standardized IQ tests. Students with such strengths may not be selected for gifted and talented programs despite their high potential. Read the article

This article sites a well-respected study first published in Nature demonstrating how IQ scores changed significantly in adolescents in only a four year period, with a correlation between the changes in IQ scores and the changes in grey matter in the brain. According to the researchers, "More generally, our results emphasize the possibility that an individual’s intellectual capacity relative to their peers can decrease or increase in the teenage years." Read the article

The Atlantic provides a dismal view of how difficult it is for students with learning differences, and particularly those who might also be gifted, to get the services they need under the educational structure. The author describes a system that has deteriorated and fails to meet the needs of many students because of the unsustainable cost structure, legal requirements, inconsistent parental demands and lack of teacher training. Read the article

This longitudinal study on mathematically gifted youth suggest that if gifted students receive the appropriate nurturing they are far more likely to have significant success and influence than their typically developing peers. The researchers encourage parents and educators to identify and nurture these exceptionally talented students for the overall betterment of society. Note to readers: Mindprint measures spatial ability, the key differentiating factor that is often unidentified by other tests of giftedness.Read the article

This psychologist's post explores the signs, potential causes and potential remediations for gifted children who might have slow processing speed. It is an excellent summary for parents concerned about how quickly their bright children can respond and process information. Read the article

This column provides advice from a child psychologist on specific considerations for gifted students deciding on a college to avoid the same social and academic disappointments they might have encountered in high school. Read the article

This article from edutopia provides guidance for general education teachers on how to (and not to) support gifted students in the classroom when they finish their work early. Product reviews in your Mindprint Toolbox will tell you if a product will be best for very strong students to further develop their cognitive strengths. Read the article

This cover story from the American Psychological Association discusses imposter syndrome. Some high achievers struggle with the feeling that they just aren't that smart and that they must work extra hard lest they be "discovered." This article gives examples of the occurrence in PhD students and specific tactics to help higher achievers grow more accepting of themselves. Read the article

This NPR blog addresses the three of the most important, yet difficult to answer, questions about giftedness: 1) How do you define it? 2) How do you identify it? How do you serve gifted students? Read the article

When gifted students aren't properly motivated, they can be among the most difficult learners to reach. Harnessing that potential can be a challenge for a variety of reasons. This blog from NuMinds, a center that focuses on motivating gifted learners, provides practical advice for parents of gifted underachievers on how they can support their children. Read the article

Gifted teenagers often face a different set of challenges than their typically developing peers. Parents and teachers might find this a useful article to help these gifted individuals through difficult periods. Read the article

This mom's powerful story of why she felt the gifted label did more harm than good for her son offers an important caution for parents whose children are identified as gifted early in life. It also is consistent with research that shows that many children who test gifted in elementary school do not continue to perform at gifted levels throughout childhood. Read the article

This thorough article on giftedness from the National Center for Gifted and Talented we believe is a must read for all educators. The key take away is: "what the research clearly and unequivocally tells us is that giftedness can be developed in some people if an appropriate interaction takes place between a person, his or her environment, and a particular area of human endeavor." We can help you uncover where those particular areas are most likely to be. A very worthwhile read. Read the article

According to this article, as many as 14% of children who are gifted also may struggle with a learning disability. These students are often misunderstood and underperform in school relative to their potential. Parents and teachers need to follow up if they suspect they have a student who fits in double-label. Read the article

This blog post from Mindprint's CEO explores how cognitive assessments can be an effective way to free bright students from the pervasive anxiety and depression associated with high expectations. Read the article

This article from Yahoo! Health explores the differences among gifted intelligence, genius, and creative genius. The author discusses the roles of heredity, education and environment. There are no definitive conclusions, but many people may find it a fascinating topic and those with gifted children may find it helpful in understanding their child's potential. Read the article

This article written by two physicians describes signs of dyslexia often overlooked in intellectually gifted children. The authors provide very specific concerns for parents to look for if they suspect an undiagnosed reading struggle. Read the article

This is a fantastic read from the National Education Association about the behavior of gifted kids who are not given proper stimulation. Fortunately, the article gives a simple rubric developed at the University of Connecticut called the "5 C's" as a prescription to support gifted students. Read the article

This post in Great Schools looks at the pros and cons of skipping a grade (or two) in school. The post looks at intellectual and social issues, as well as the outcomes of some who have skipped grades themselves. If you are the parent of a gifted child who is considering this option, this post may provide some food for thought. Read the article

This article does a superb job explaining why gifted education is essential for both the individual and society as a whole. Although not addressed in this article and an ongoing point of contention is what qualifies a student for gifted education services. Should gifted services be for the "very bright" or only the "profoundly gifted" (than 2% of the population)? Read the article

This is a scholarly chapter from a University of Connecticut publication that looks at the issues related to underachievement in gifted students, a problem that has been a focus of gifted education research for more than 20 years. Parents of children who are gifted but not meeting their full potentials may find this an informative read. Read the article

This blog from Mind/Shift explores the success of the profoundly gifted. While this group has a disproportionate percentage of high powered careers and advanced degrees, there is a disturbingly large number who never reach their full potential, presumably at an overall societal loss. Research suggests that children do not live up to their full potential unless they are appropriately challenged. There is concern that many schools are not meeting the needs of these exceptionally capable students. Read the article

This site links to a trailer for a documentary on twice exceptional students, gifted or highly gifted individuals with learning disabilities. These students have tremendous abilities but also great obstacles to realizing their potential. Read the article

This is a great post for parents of gifted children, who are often considered by their peers to “have it easy” because their children excel academically. This post acknowledges that these children’s drive for perfectionism, difficulty making friends, and emotional sensitivity, make the role of parenting such children uniquely challenging. Read the article

This post by University of Pennsylvania professor, Scott Barry Kaufman, cites research saying people with ADHD are more likely to “…reach higher levels of creative thought and achievement than people without these characteristics.” Kaufman cautions that those with ADHD are often shut out of Gifted and Talented programs and need to be recognized for their potential. Read the article

Giftedness is a term packed with significance but muddy on meaning, at least when it comes to how to define it. This post in The Educated Mom focuses on some straightforward facts about what it means to be “profoundly gifted” and how the United States manages, or does not manage, its gifted and talented programs in education. Read the article

This Educated Mom blog looks at an article, “Emotional Intensity in Gifted Children,” which may explain the deep feelings of highly sensitive and gifted children who experience the world in a vivid manner. Parents of such children may feel a moment of recognition seldom explained elsewhere when they read this author’s comprehensive yet subtle observations. Read the article

This is a first person success story of an academically gifted high school senior who also has dyslexia, dysgraphia (writing disorder) and dyscalculia (math disorder). Although her path was not always easy, she is an Anne Ford Scholar and wants to pay-it-forward by helping other children in her situation meet their full potential. Read the article

This article summarizes Daniel Goleman's new book. It discusses how the quality of effort is more important than the quantity of effort among those individuals who are exceptional in their fields. Read the article

This is complex, scientific paper that consolidates the current research on giftedness. Although not everyone will want to read the entirety, the introduction can be a start for educators and parents of bright children to understand the current thinking around giftedness and potential ways to help these children maximize their potential. Read the article

This article from the Boston Globe raises the concern that the United States may be sacrificing its national competitiveness by not identifying and motivating some of the most gifted students. The article cites the persistent under-funding of gifted programs. Read the article

This New York Times editorial highlights a somewhat overlooked but disturbing statistic about the performance of America's most gifted students on international standardized tests. It states, "Other tests have shown that America’s younger students fare better in global comparisons than its older students do, which suggests a disturbing failure of educators to nurture good students as they progress to higher grades. Over all, the United States is largely holding still while foreign competitors are improving rapidly." Read the article

This post questions whether gifted public school students are receiving sufficient resources. The article discusses the lack of federal funding for gifted programs and a 2011 study finding that 30-50% of high ability students decline in achievement over time. Read the article

This article from the Wall Street Journal interviews parents of profoundly gifted children, those in the top one-half of one percent of the population. From sending a thirteen year old off to college, or living apart as a couple to support the child's education, their stories make clear the amount of parental support required to give these children the intellectual stimulation they innately crave. Read the article

Gifted kids who have enormous amounts of physical energy are often misunderstood and misidentified, this article says, in part because, "...abundant physical energy is so opposite from the typical image of a gifted learner, it’s shamefully easy to overlook this child’s intelligence and focus only on his behavior." Read the article

This article states, "...we do not have a systematic way of meeting the needs of the gifted" and continues by explaining the detrimental effects of not properly stimulating profoundly gifted children. One solution, the article presents, however, are online options, not only for intellectual growth, but to find communities of peers with similar abilities. Read the article

This blog post from the head of a school for gifted children makes a case for a national imperative to provide more resources for gifted children and highlights some of the risks of not providing appropriate stimulation for gifted students. Read the article

This article distinguishes the attributes of exceptionally gifted children from the more familiar gifted children, and explains some of the added challenges the families of exceptionally gifted children face. Read the article

Perfectionism in children, and the anxiety that comes with it, is the subject of this Q&A with Thomas Greenspon provided by the Davidson Institutes for Talent Development, a school for gifted children. Precise definitions of the types of perfectionism and ways to address it make this a valuable resource for parents. Read the article

This article from Education Week discusses the problems with gifted programs, including lack of funding, outreach and inclusion of minorities, and inconsistent requirements. Parents, and some institutions, have stepped up to try to address the problems. Read the article

This blog post looks at new research suggesting that for some children with high IQs, the brain experiences an extended ability to learn new things. Environment, in such cases, and opportunities to learn a new language or instrument can, benefit such gifted teens. Read the article

If you have a gifted and emotionally sensitive child this article may be what you've been searching for. This extremely valuable piece begins with a section on bibliotherapy but follows with a focus on Emotional Intensity in Gifted Children. Read the article

This blog post from MindShift highlights a new website for gifted students in math and science. As the post quotes one person as saying, the site, "... is designed for talented 11- to 18-year-olds who would probably be “Googling for hard math problems."" Read the article

This is an interesting read about "maker" students who build and create of their own inventions. The most successful students were those whose parents had limited subject knowledge but were encouraging, allowing the child to be the leader. Read the article

The twice exceptional student, increasingly identified as "2e" is a student who displays both giftedness and a learning difference. This article provides advice for teachers, but parents may find it useful as well. Read the article

Creative teens may be overlooked by schools' gifted programs in part because their academic records and strengths may not fit such program's expectations. To fill that gap, researchers identified common characteristics of creative adults such as Woody Allen and Mark Twain, that may indicate creative potential and success. Read the article

Parents who believe their child may be gifted but "misunderstood" can read this quick Q&A from the Davidson Institute on misdiagnosis, "a mismatch between the child’s actual learning and health needs and the perception of those needs by others." Read the article

This presentation from The Davidson Institute looks at five common myths about gifted children. The link to the video component of the program is not available, but the information provided may be of great value to some parents. Read the article

This brief commentary in The New York Times questions if schools are providing sufficient stimulation for gifted children in their attempt to provide differentiated instruction in one classroom Read the article

This commentary from The New York Times highlights different viewpoints on the treatment and resources for gifted children. People on both sides of the issue may benefit from a better understanding of the perspectives. Read the article

This article from Scientific American explains how strong visual-spatial abilities, abilities often used by scientists, are under-emphasized on standardized IQ tests. Students with such strengths may not be selected for gifted and talented programs despite their high potential. Read the article

Although some may find it hard to relate to a parent bemoaning the difficulties of raising a profoundly gifted child, this story does a wonderful job helping to make it clear that every parent struggles trying to raise a child who is different from the mainstream whether it be for academic, social or emotional reasons. Read the article

This article focuses on the prevalence of exceptional working memory among prodigies. Working memory, the part of memory that enables you to remember and apply information, may be one of the areas of ability most improved with practice. Read the article

"Put succinctly, we only think about things we care about," explains Mary Helen Immordino-Yang in this excellent explanation in Mind/Shift about how and why emotions are core to everything we learn. Read the article

This longitudinal study shows that kids who are intrinsically motivated at a young age have higher life success and happiness than their intellectually gifted peers who lack the same level of motivation. The author's recommendation to parents: help your child discover what he loves and then nurture that love. Read the article

This brief article on growth mindset research suggests that growth mindset interventions work well for some, but not all, students. The benefits are promising for lower income/performing students but far less so for others. Read the article

EdWeek provides a detailed of study of growth mindset in the classroom based on its national survey of teachers showing that while almost all teachers know and believe in growth mindset, only one in five is confident in using growth mindset in the classroom. Read the article

The Washington Post explores how women might respond differently from men in the workplace and encourages six behaviors that might help young girls develop into stronger, more self-confident women. Read the article

GRIT author Angela Duckworth addresses several topics including misunderstandings about grit and how she develops grit in her own household. She emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation as the prerequisite for true grit. Read the article

Digital Promise provides three essential elements for teachers to increase student motivation: autonomy, relatedness, and competence. It provides the research backing and clear explanations. Read the article

This EdCircuit commentary, written by Mindprint Founder Nancy Weinstein, explains how cognitive data can effectively power personalized learning in ways that cannot be done without accurate, objective data. Read the article

Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed, explains why he now believes non-cognitive skills like grit should not be explicitly taught. Instead, they should be embedded and reinforced through daily habits and environment. Read the article

Edutopia explains why social-emotional learning is such an important part of the learning process. It provides examples of how teachers can develop emotional skills even if their school does not have a formal curriculum or training. Read the article

Learn about the benefits of testing, when administered in the right spirit. They can increase self-awareness, improve retention, deepen learning, and improve students' ability to handle performance pressure. Read the article

Stanford researcher Carol Dweck, clarifies the research on growth mindset. As Dweck explains, "[growth mindset] is not something you declare, it's a really difficult journey taken over a long period of time." Read the article

Survey data from Gallup research is used to understand the large slide in student engagement after elementary school. The four key ways that seem to be the most crucial to re-engage students might feel surprising to adults. They are (1) better preparation in elementary school; (2) strong teacher relationships; (3) adult praise and recognition; and (4) build on each child's strengths. Read the article

A new study co-authored by Growth Mindset pioneer Carol Dweck shows that parents' views on failure are the driving influence on whether a student has a growth mindset. The article identifies the nuances that parents should consider as they react to their child's failures and the words they choose to offer encouragement. Read the article

This article explores the inherent nature of the scientific journey which might lead students to believe they lack the talent to be scientists. And how educators can change that mindset. Read the article

This NY Times review of Professor Angela Duckworth's book on grit highlights the perhaps surprising advice that it is sometimes okay to quit. It includes guidelines by age of when it might be appropriate to give up on something that you don't enjoy. Read the article

This lengthy Harvard Education article discusses the ongoing importance, and challenges, of educating students in the skills that aren't measured on standardized tests: empathy, motivation, self-regulation, executive functions, and social skills. Challenges include the lack of universal definitions, relative inadequacies of measurement instruments, and lack of an immediate and direct correlation to achievement. Yet educators know that these are the same skills that often are the most important determinants of life success. The article highlights schools that are making some progress in developing these skills. Read the article

This blog post from the non-profit ASCD enumerates the key ingredients for successful student engagement and learning. When parents are evaluating schools they might want to evaluate whether or not the school embraces these instructional approaches. Educators can use this post as quick reminder of what strategies they want to incorporate into their classrooms. Read the article

This Ed Mom blog addresses some of the misunderstandings around Carol Dweck's research on growth mindset and explains what parents and teachers need to do for the core foundation of building a growth mindset. Read the article

This Harvard Education article goes into detail on the research behind why children need to make mistakes to learn and some of the obstacles to letting them. It covers the work of notable researchers like Carol Dweck (growth mindset) and Robert Bjork (desirable difficulties). Read the article

The long-term importance of students being intrinsically motivated rather than having external rewards or punishments is increasingly well understood. This edutopia blog provides some background on why intrinsic motivation is so important and provides specific strategies to help teachers and parents develop intrinsic motivation. Read the article

In this post, Carol Dweck clarifies what she means by growth mindset after watching misinterpretations. In sum, "it is about telling the truth about a student’s current achievement and then, together, doing something about it, helping him or her become smarter." Read the article

Child Mind Institute explains why it is important for children to get comfortable with mistakes or "failure" and then provides some very strategic approaches to help parents help their children. Read the article

This teacher provides pragmatic advice to teachers working to balance student motivation, recognizing that it may not be practical to depend on intrinsic motivation every day for every student. Read the article

In this article, renowned educator Alfie Kohn takes aim at the oversimplification and application of Carol Dweck's growth mindset. While he acknowledges her work is grounded in good science, he explains how it ignores the even more important intrinsic motivating factors as the more important variables in driving student learning. Read the article

This Brainpickings article explores the work of Stanford research psychologist Carol Dweck. Dweck's research is being applied throughout the educational community. Her work shows that if students perceive themselves as capable they will be able to improve and grow. However, if they view their abilities as fixed or static, they are far more capable of improvement, regardless of innate ability. While these mindsets manifest at an early age, Dweck's research provides prescriptions for how to talk to children to cultivate an all-important growth mindset. Read the article

Parents interested in understanding more about the role that passion, resilience and effort can have on their child's ultimate success will enjoy this interview with Penn professor Angela Duckworth, a leader in the research on grit and performance. Read the article

This article from Scientific American cites the mounting evidence of the important role genuine interest plays in deeper learning. While the research does not minimize the importance of grit and persistence, the conclusion is that, "...choosing a goal that is both emotionally interesting and which you find personally meaningful goes a long way to alleviating some of the mental burden required to realize your dreams." Read the article

Our experts explain why parents should quickly understand why a child consistently resists doing homework. Often, the reason is not the homework itself but other problems such as understanding, attention or anxiety. Read the article

This blog from edutopia directs teachers on how to cultivate students' ability to explore and find answers independently rather than seek help for the "right answer." This skill is truly essential and classified in others articles as a key 21st century skill. Although the strategies are written for teachers, they are quite relevant to parents too. Read the article

This excellent article explores the importance of resilience in overcoming and adversity and how to help children build resilience, including the need for supportive relationships with an adult. Read the article

This brief article from Harvard's Graduate School of Education explains the key elements of environment and disposition which enables some children to succeed despite trauma or failure while others struggle. Fortunately, the prescriptions work and can be used to support all children. Read the article

This is an out outstanding overview of techniques to employ when things get scary for children, from unsettling natural disasters to horrific events in the news. The detailed post has three major categories for parents: model good coping skills, reassure, and support. Read the article

It may come as no surprise that people are better able to learn information when they are curious about a topic, but this article describes a study that shows that the benefit of curiosity may extend to learning about other, less interesting topics, once curiosity is aroused. “Curiosity may put the brain in a state that allows it to learn and retain any kind of information, like a vortex that sucks in what you are motivated to learn, and also everything around it.” Read the article

This Educated Mom blog is a reminder to parents to let their children see the hard work required to make the family’s life run smoothly. From planning a Thanksgiving meal to getting the dishes done, the more children see their parents’ efforts, the more they may believe that despite the conveniences of technology, most success requires hard work and prolonged commitment. Read the article

This blog post from The Educated Mom looks at the subject of grades and questions whether an intrinsic love of learning can still be cultivated when there is pressure to attain a particular score. While some students can keep their own inner drive, others become focused on grades at the expense of growth. Read the article

This article summarizes Daniel Goleman's new book. It discusses how the quality of effort is more important than the quantity of effort among those individuals who are exceptional in their fields. Read the article

This article highlights advice from Daniel Goleman's new book, Focus. He identifies seven cultural reasons that students may not exhibit the right level of effort, and then he provides very specific ideas of how to counter societal influences to help students develop the motivation they need to be successful. Read the article

Angela Duckworth, a University of Pennsylvania professor, MacArthur Fellow, and researcher on the importance of "grit" in the achievement is interviewed in this post on the Scholastic site.
Read the article

This interview with Dr. Tim Elmore looks at 7 mistakes parents often make in an effort to avoid being like their own parents or to protect their children from failure. The interview looks at ways to curb these tendencies and to guide children in a more grounded process. Read the article

This brief post provides key information every parent and every student should know about brain development. The article also gives easy-to-implement tips (drink lots of water) that will build self-confidence and self-awareness. Read the article

This article from The Atlantic delves into the workplace differences between men and women. While the focus is primarily on attitudes and careers of adults, the authors do look into the mindset and nurture of girls versus boys and the long-term consequences on self-confidence. Read the article

This story looks how to help children find their "aspirational state", credited with bringing motivation and academic success. Developing self-worth, engagement, and purpose, help students link their academic efforts to a larger, longed-for goal. Read the article

This opinion piece in The New York Times calls on parents to end the "non-stop" recognition of our children with participation trophies and rewards for nearly every effort. Citing research, the author makes a compelling argument to help increase our children's eagerness to seek challenges by allowing them to experience losing. Read the article

This column from the Washington Post provides a summary of the book Nurture Shock. The book's author maintains that parents who heap praise upon their children and protect them from failure will see their efforts backfire by creating kids who are unable to cope in the real world. Read the article

This TED Talk, previewed by Mind/Shift, may inspire teens. The key takeaway is that most great people have ordinary fears and worries just like anyone, but become exceptional by persevering anyway. Read the article

This scientific article, written by key researchers of grit, may be helpful for those interested in delving more deeply into that concept, as well as ideas about delayed gratification and the growth mindset, (that intelligence is malleable rather than fixed) and their potential links to long-term success. Read the article

This blog post expounds on how natural, sincere interest in a subject is the best predictor of future pursuit, even more important than innate ability. The author elaborates on how to help sustain that interest rather than inadvertently squashing it. Read the article

Here is more research looking at how to keep children, girls in particular, confident in math. Instead of looking at math ability as "fixed", children should be encouraged to view their ability as improvable with effort and to accept little failures along the way. Read the article

This blog from Education Week looks at a study that says grit, sometimes called "stick-to-it-ness" was, "nearly as predictive as ACT scores to the college success of young black men who attend mostly white universities." Read the article

This blog looks at a recent interview with the co-authors of Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing. It's a must read for parents interested in how to instill a healthy sense of risk-taking in their children. Read the article

This blog post looks at examples from the book Top Dog in which competition hurt performance. It's an excellent summary for parents who may want to better understand the situations and factors that can bring out the best in their children. Read the article

This is an excellent summary of the Department of Education's new report on important non-cognitive skills that will drive long-term success. Although written for teachers, there are practical explanations and recommendations suited for parents, and a link to the full report. Read the article

This article looks pediatrician Kenneth Ginsburg's book Building Resilience in Children and Teens. The post includes Ginsburg's "7 C's of Resilience" and his definition of a successful child: one who finds something he loves to do, is generous, empathetic and compassionate, committed to repairing the world, shows grit and the ability to collaborate, creativity and can take constructive criticism. Read the article

Parents whose children feel pressure to learn things quickly may find this article helpful. The author looks at the benefits of being in "problem-solving situations" and gives readers tips for introducing such situations into their own lives, to gain comfort with states of "confusion" and the process of arriving at answers. Read the article

Well-respected EdWeek blogger Walt Garder shares his perspective on why student engagement starts strong but drops off significantly by high school. High school classrooms, he says, are obsolete and teachers are stymied in their efforts to implement change in most public schools. Read the article

This article from Science Daily summarizes a large study on math achievement among 5th-10th graders in Germany. While innate intelligence may influence math achievement in early years, study habits and confidence become far more important as students get older. Read the article

In this blog post, a mother explains how she used some of the principles of Paul Tough's book, How Children Succeed, to help her son learn to handle situations in which he felt bullied or picked on. Read the article

This blog post on The Huffington Post is an excerpt from Dr. Jim Taylor's book, Your Children are Listening: Nine Messages They Need to Hear from You. Taylor emphasizes, "The only way for children to build a true sense of competence is through first-hand experience that includes travails, triumphs, struggles, setbacks, and successes." Read the article

This New York Times post highlights a common challenge of parenting children with different strengths and needs. The author turns to experts who provide insightful advice for a long-range method of cultivating the passions and confidence of each child. Read the article

This post provides an analytical review of Paul Tough's book, How Children Succeed. Readers who have read or wish to read Tough's book might appreciate the reviewer's specific expertise, which leads him to agree with Tough's appreciation of "Grit" but see other factors, including early acquisition of vocabulary, in a different light. Read the article

This is a wonderful post that delves into the student psyche, particularly the insecure feelings common among young girls. New evidence shows how referencing role models may discourage more than it inspires. Read the article

Parents may find this post extremely valuable in helping to teach children how to re-direct fear of failure into a positive attitude for advancement. The researcher classifies children into four categories, starting points to start the process of change. Read the article

This blog post will have particular resonance with parents of bright children who struggle with education and finding their way in life. Written by a senior in high school, the post originally appeared in Forbes. Read the article

In this excerpt, noted educator Alfie Kohn takes aim at the importance of grit in educating children. He provides counter-arguments to the research of MacArthur Fellow Angela Duckworth that shows the relationship between grit and success. Read the article

This excellent Washington Post article by Phyllis Fagell helps parents understand what they need to do when they notice a change in their child's academic or school behavior. The author does an excellent job providing solutions for the most common situations parents might face. Read the article

A former school administrator provides targeted advice for educators to run an effective IEP meeting. It highlights the need for parents and educators to be equally well-informed to best meet the needs of all constituencies and keep the experience positive. Read the article

This personal narrative relives a parents' decision to switch schools for their youngest child when the school could not meet their son's needs for accommodations. This is a common emotional dilemma for many parents of children with learning differences. Read the article

The Atlantic provides a dismal view of how difficult it is for students with learning differences, and particularly those who might also be gifted, to get the services they need under the educational structure. The author describes a system that has deteriorated and fails to meet the needs of many students because of the unsustainable cost structure, legal requirements, inconsistent parental demands and lack of teacher training. Read the article

The Atlantic discusses the possibilities and challenges for students with learning differences who want to attend college. It addresses some of the misconceptions about the services offered at most colleges and gives suggestions of colleges and resources that are best-known for serving students with learning differences and ADHD. Read the article

Understand the pros and cons of giving kids' learning struggles a "label". It's a complicated consideration of perceptions, self-esteem, and making sure they receive the appropriate services. Read the article

This chart from Understood.org highlights the specific differences of having an IEP versus a 504 Plan. Know that every parent has the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) not just students with an IEP as the chart suggests. Read the article

In January 2016 the Justice Department released new guidelines around testing and accommodations for students with learning disabilities. This page from the non-profit Dyslexic Advantage highlights many of the most important considerations for school-aged children. Read the article

Going to college presents specific new challenges for students with a learning disability. This blog from a special education advocate and child psychologist provides concrete steps on how to prepare for the transition. Read the article

This important new ruling from the Justice Department should make it easier for students to receive the same accommodations on standardized tests as they have in their IEPs or 504 Plans. Read the article

For struggling readers or those with a reading disability, structured instruction is crucial in developing reading fluency. This article from the International Dyslexia Association explains the key elements of structured literacy. Parents will want to insist that their struggling readers are given proper instruction in all of these areas. Read the article

This post from Great Schools helps parents understand how behavior problems should be handled for kids with IEPs or pending IEPs. In short, the law protects students from being punished for behaviors that are related to their disability, but that doesn’t mean that special education students are not responsible for their behaviors. The article gives relevant examples so parents better understand their rights. Read the article

This important post from Child Mind Institute reminds parents that it is just as important that your child be able to discuss his or her learning disability as it is for your child to get the appropriate services. Read the article

This Motherlode blog in the New York Times falls in the category of things "I wish someone had told me." So we pass it on to parents of a child with a learning disability as anecdotal advice from one parent to another. Read the article

This Education Week blog provides a former principal's concern with the amount of resources spent on the administrative special education process rather than effectively helping students if and when they need support. The blog provides a history of how and why special education services have evolved. Read the article

Mindprint’s Educated Mom blog took a closer look at the IEP meeting and how parents can best prepare. Mindprint’s team of learning specialists gives inside advice on the nuances of the meetings, the importance of “doing your homework,” and how to do what you can to have the best emotional and tactical support before heading into meeting. Read the article

This article, written by an attorney, gives parents information about the legal protections provided to children with disabilities and provides examples of how such children can be given opportunities to participate in extracurricular clubs or sports. Read the article

This is a comprehensive article on Understood.org that explains the particular details of IEPs, including how students may qualify for them and how to navigate the educational system once one is in place for a child. The nonprofit, Understood.org, is a useful resource for parents of children with learning disabilities, and this article, like many others on the site, is a sound reference. Read the article

This Educated Mom blog features the story of a mother who spent many months seeking a solution for her bright son’s troubles. Only through the complicated process of seeking specific help and advice did she find a psychologist who confirmed her son was dyslexic. If the process of psycho-educational testing and cognitive assessments confuses you, this post may be of particular interest. Read the article

This article from the National Center for Learning Disabilities tells parents how best to interpret an IEP report, as well as information on their legal rights and what action can be taken if necessary. Read the article

This article in Education Week is a must-read for parents of children with special needs who will be taking the Common Core tests. While the article discusses the recently announced accommodations guidelines, it is important for parents to stay up-to-date. Read the article

The legislation around whether or not children with ADHD qualify for special education services is indisputably confusing. This blog post provides some helpful advice on how to advocate for your child. Read the article

This is an inspiring story of parents of dyslexic children in New Jersey who formed Decoding New Jersey, which now has groups in other states and advocates for awareness and change in both policy and education. Read the article

If you are considering having your child evaluated for a learning difference this is a must-read article about why and how to include your child in the process from the Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities website. Read the article

This is an informative article for parents whose children may seek accommodations on the ACT or SAT. While the tests may be years away for some, it is worth knowing about particular options and requirements. Read the article

This article written by a reading specialist emphasizes the importance of identifying learning differences early. The author also explains the Response to Intervention (RTI) program, which is intended to screen for such differences before children slip behind or become discouraged. Read the article

With a focus on budgets, this article from the Huffington Post looks at what happens when traditional public schools lose students to charter schools or other factors, but retain those with special needs. The result is a relative increase in that population. Read the article

This post from Great Schools gives one parent's account of a frustrating journey that started with the suspicion a child may have a learning difference and finally lead to a proper diagnosis and appropriate support. Research shows that early diagnosis is beneficial to the academic, emotional and social well-being of the child. Read the article

"Put succinctly, we only think about things we care about," explains Mary Helen Immordino-Yang in this excellent explanation in Mind/Shift about how and why emotions are core to everything we learn. Read the article

Noted educational leader provides his perspective on the problems with the existing educational model. His basic conclusion, "if collectively those involved in the education system changed what it means to achieve in a way that honors the natural diversity of human life, many more people would see themselves as achievers and would push themselves beyond expectations set for them." Read the article

For those struggling with what they want to do with their lives, this article provides practical advice on identifying what is important to you. It also offers encouragement on how to stick with it. Read the article

This EdMom blog offers parents long-term perspective on the importance of college admissions goals versus long-term career choices. Given the nature of college admissions process, reading this might alleviate some of the pressure both parents and students feel to have the perfect application. Read the article

This blog discusses a new program aimed at helping high school and college students to discover their passions and life goals. We know that people are most successful in careers for which they have true passion. Read the article

This New Year's blog from the Educated Mom explores the importance of parents in helping children become their "best selves." Resolutions provide a convenient opportunity to work with a child to grow, improve, and find new interests. Read the article

Identifying a child as intense is entirely subjective, but parents and educators often say that you "know it when you see it." They can be among the most rewarding and frustrating children to handle. This brief article provides some advice on how to harness and embrace some of that intensity. Read the article

This article documents "what our intuition tells us to be true: that more engagement results in higher achievement." It also explains why and provides achievable examples to boost student engagement. Read the article

This article from Scientific American cites the mounting evidence of the important role genuine interest plays in deeper learning. While the research does not minimize the importance of grit and persistence, the conclusion is that, "...choosing a goal that is both emotionally interesting and which you find personally meaningful goes a long way to alleviating some of the mental burden required to realize your dreams." Read the article

This post from the Harvard Graduate School of Education looks at a study of high school students and teachers and the benefit of forming connections, such as by discovering similar interest or hobbies or charities. The positive connection has an overall positive effect on student performance, particularly for the neediest students. Read the article

It may come as no surprise that people are better able to learn information when they are curious about a topic, but this article describes a study that shows that the benefit of curiosity may extend to learning about other, less interesting topics, once curiosity is aroused. “Curiosity may put the brain in a state that allows it to learn and retain any kind of information, like a vortex that sucks in what you are motivated to learn, and also everything around it.” Read the article

This article summarizes Daniel Goleman's new book. It discusses how the quality of effort is more important than the quantity of effort among those individuals who are exceptional in their fields. Read the article

This blog post expounds on how natural, sincere interest in a subject is the best predictor of future pursuit, even more important than innate ability. The author elaborates on how to help sustain that interest rather than inadvertently squashing it. Read the article

By 2020, there will be 1 million unfilled computer programming jobs, according to this article, which looks at a new series of short films designed to get kids excited about the potential career choice. A link to the film is included.What Do You Think? Read the article

This article looks pediatrician Kenneth Ginsburg's book Building Resilience in Children and Teens. The post includes Ginsburg's "7 C's of Resilience" and his definition of a successful child: one who finds something he loves to do, is generous, empathetic and compassionate, committed to repairing the world, shows grit and the ability to collaborate, creativity and can take constructive criticism. Read the article

This blog bemoans the decline of "tinkering" among today's students. The freedom to experiment without a fear of failure or pressure to perform should be reclaimed, this author says, if we want to inspire a generation of STEM innovators. Read the article

A new study from Harvard debunks the conventional wisdom that studying music in the early years improves students' math performance. The authors still encourage students to study music for its intrinsic value. Read the article

If there was any doubt about the value in teaching to students' interests, this blog describes a study showing how algebra performance improved when problems were customized to students' extra-curricular likes. Read the article

This excellent Washington Post article by Phyllis Fagell helps parents understand what they need to do when they notice a change in their child's academic or school behavior. The author does an excellent job providing solutions for the most common situations parents might face. Read the article

The Atlantic discusses the possibilities and challenges for students with learning differences who want to attend college. It addresses some of the misconceptions about the services offered at most colleges and gives suggestions of colleges and resources that are best-known for serving students with learning differences and ADHD. Read the article

The Atlantic explains that girls with autism are often under-diagnosed or diagnosed later because the disorder might manifest in less obvious ways. It also addresses the need for interventions that are specific to helping girls with autism address social and emotional issues that are gender-specific. Read the article

This helpful post explains some of the similarities and differences of ADHD vs. specific learning disabilities (SLD). Treatment and intervention options will differ based on the diagnosis. Read the article

Understand the pros and cons of giving kids' learning struggles a "label". It's a complicated consideration of perceptions, self-esteem, and making sure they receive the appropriate services. Read the article

Parents see a side of their child that the rest of the world never does. If you are concerned that your child might need additional school support, use this Mindprint observation checklist as a starting to point to understand the root cause of your child's difficulties. It will help you to discuss your concerns with the teacher, child study team, or doctor if you decide you need to take the next step. Read the article

This open letter from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) clarifies the organization's interpretation of the research on the importance of specific methods for teaching reading to all children, especially those with dyslexia. Parents concerned about their children's reading fluency should understand how their child is being taught reading and if this method is endorsed by IDA. Read the article

This lengthy 2009 paper from the American Academy of Pediatrics goes into detail about the diagnosis, prevalence and potential treatments for children with dyslexia. The emphasis is on early identification and intervention and highlighting therapies that have no proven efficacy (e.g. vision therapy). Read the article

In January 2016 the Justice Department released new guidelines around testing and accommodations for students with learning disabilities. This page from the non-profit Dyslexic Advantage highlights many of the most important considerations for school-aged children. Read the article

This article explores the strengths and struggles of children who have a dyslexia diagnosis. It offers encouragement that children with dyslexia might be pre-disposed to other, innate talents which parents will want to nurture and cultivate. However, it also cautions about the importance of early identification and intervention for students who might have a reading disorder. Read the article

Sensory processing issues relate to a child's senses feeling over-stimulated by their surroundings. Sensory processing issues can often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because they can co-exist with or have behaviors that can be confused with ADHD, anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, and behavior problems. However, sensory processing issues are distinct and a struggling child will be best supported when the symptoms are properly identified and adults provide the appropriate supports. This article from Child Mind Institute presents the most common behaviors associated with sensory processing and the best approaches parents can take to help their children cope. Read the article

Despite the prevalence of dyslexia among students, estimated as high as one in five students, school districts vary greatly on their criteria for giving students an IEP that will meet their very specific learning needs. This Mind/Shift articles explores the challenges families face to get the right services and accommodations for their children. Read the article

This important post from Child Mind Institute reminds parents that it is just as important that your child be able to discuss his or her learning disability as it is for your child to get the appropriate services. Read the article

This Motherlode blog in the New York Times falls in the category of things "I wish someone had told me." So we pass it on to parents of a child with a learning disability as anecdotal advice from one parent to another. Read the article

According to this article, as many as 14% of children who are gifted also may struggle with a learning disability. These students are often misunderstood and underperform in school relative to their potential. Parents and teachers need to follow up if they suspect they have a student who fits in double-label. Read the article

This heartfelt blog post is from a mom who has experienced the benefits of early intervention. Delays can become evident at any age, so whether you have an infant, toddler, or school-aged child this mom's experience is consistent with the research that says early intervention can make an enormous difference. Read the article

This article written by two physicians describes signs of dyslexia often overlooked in intellectually gifted children. The authors provide very specific concerns for parents to look for if they suspect an undiagnosed reading struggle. Read the article

This article explores how children with autism, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities use long-term memory to compensate for some of their weaknesses. For those who have strong memory, the article provides insight into how to use this strength in treatment. Read the article

This helpful article includes interviews with three child psychologists about their observations on anxiety in children with learning disabilities. The psychologists provide insight into how children perceive their "differences" and common age-dependent responses that parents should look out for. Read the article

This article looks at one autism expert’s warning that doctors are failing to diagnosis a significant number of high-functioning girls, given that some of the traits of autism manifest differently by gender. As with all medical conditions, delayed identification can have serious long-term consequences on social and emotional well being. Read the article

This is a great read if you are the parent of a special needs child, or a friend to a parent of one. This well-written and heartfelt blog speaks to the larger issues families deal with in the process of raising their children. Read the article

Although most children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by the time they enter pre-school, some children with the disorder are still not diagnosed at this age. This article describes some of the behaviors in a child that has not yet been identified. If a parent or educator suspects a child might have autism they should immediately ask for an evaluation given the known importance of early intervention on long-term outcomes. Read the article

This progress checker from a UK non-profit can be a helpful way to see if your child's communication development is following a typical progression. If you have lingering concerns after reading this information, we recommend you consult your pediatrician or school. Read the article

This personal account from one mother whose son has been diagnosed as on the Autism spectrum is a testament to parental determination. The post, which appeared in The Educated Mom blog, gives a detailed account of the efforts the parent made for an accurate diagnosis, support, and educational opportunities. Read the article

This New Yorker article describes very interesting research on the correlation of brain development and reading among children in grades K-3. The research suggests there might be early intervention opportunities for students that might be predisposed to dyslexia and the importance of addressing problems with struggling readers as early as possible. Read the article

This article was written to address the specific concerns of students with ADHD or learning disabilities as they prepare for standardized college admissions test. It addresses how to plan in advance and which test may be preferable and why. Read the article

It’s hard to decide on the right term to use when talking about uniqueness in a child’s learning: disorder, disability or difference. This blog is a simple, but specific, rundown on the terms and their definitions and is written by someone who is both a parent and a lawyer. Read the article

This is a fantastic primer that lists the professionals associated with conducting educational assessments and helps parents understand their ability to make a diagnosis. For example, the author reminds parents, “…many of these professionals can suspect LD and/or ADHD but all are not licensed, or have the needed certifications to diagnose the disorders.” Read the article

This post on Edudemic is a great resource with links to help better understand dyslexia. Given the prevalence of learning disabilities, all of us might benefit from a better understanding. Read the article

This site links to a trailer for a documentary on twice exceptional students, gifted or highly gifted individuals with learning disabilities. These students have tremendous abilities but also great obstacles to realizing their potential. Read the article

This is a useful post on information processing disorders, typically categorized as either visual or auditory in nature. The article notes that information processing disorders may not in and of themselves be categorized as learning disabilities but are often at the root of learning difficulties. Read the article

This Educated Mom blog features the story of a mother who spent many months seeking a solution for her bright son’s troubles. Only through the complicated process of seeking specific help and advice did she find a psychologist who confirmed her son was dyslexic. If the process of psycho-educational testing and cognitive assessments confuses you, this post may be of particular interest. Read the article

Children with learning differences may welcome summer as a break from the pressures of the school year, as all kids do, but they, even more than others, may benefit from keeping up with their studies. In this Educated Mom post, we get summer advice from a teacher who works primarily with children who have learning differences. Read the article

This is a first person success story of an academically gifted high school senior who also has dyslexia, dysgraphia (writing disorder) and dyscalculia (math disorder). Although her path was not always easy, she is an Anne Ford Scholar and wants to pay-it-forward by helping other children in her situation meet their full potential. Read the article

Dysgraphia is the lesser known learning disability often found in children with dyslexia. It involving difficulties in forming written letters and sometimes spelling. This blog post from Reading Rockets was written by the International Dyslexia Association to provide an introductory understanding of the disorder. Read the article

A parent shares the personal experience of hearing from a teacher that her child may have a learning difference. The author provides some helpful suggestions about how to process the information and begin to navigate evaluations and special education. Read the article

This post, from a lawyer with a learning disability, gives sound advice those for those who may feel misunderstood or criticized because of their learning differences. His personal account is followed by a short list of tips to put into practice. Read the article

This blog from The New York Times provides hope for dyslexic students, explaining how more frequent reading at early ages can lead to improved success, debunking the idea that the brain is "hard-writed" and can't be changed through expereince. Read the article

This article provides a potentially great option for parents of children with dyslexia. A new study shows that customizing e-readers so they display very few words per line can show a measurable improvement in reading comprehension and speed for those with dyslexia. Read the article

This blog provides an excellent explanation of the increased demands for reading in 3rd and 4th grade. The author uses this data to advocate for early intervention for students who show weaknesses. Read the article

This is an intriguing article that looks at the studied differences in male and female brains. Using the basis that symptoms for ADHD present differently because of these differences, the author looked into if the same might be true for children with dyslexia. Read the article

The following is one in a series of articles about controversial therapies from the non-profit National Center for Learning Disabilities. This review of food and nutrition therapies to treat ADHD and other learning differences suggests there is no scientific evidence proving nutritional therapies will remedy those issues. Read the article

This personal post from a mother of a child with learning differences gives a window into the impact it can have on the relationship between husband and wife. She provides her personal tips on how to keep the family intact through what can be a difficult period. Read the article

Parents who know or suspect their child has a reading problem will appreciate this first person account written by Ben Foss, an entrepreneur and founder of Headstrong Nation, a not-for-profit organization serving the dyslexic community. Foss, who is dyslexic, invented the Intel Reader, a mobile device that takes photos of text and recites it out loud. Read the article

This NY Times Op-Ed is written by a dyslexic author who did not read fluently until age 13. Still, the writer went onto Yale, medical school and much success. The piece highlights research linking specific cognitive strengths with dyslexia. Read the article

This article explains how significant struggles in learning a foreign language may be symptomatic of an otherwise undiagnosed learning difference in Reading, Writing or Listening. The article also highlights techniques to help cope with some of the issues that arise. Read the article

This article is a good primer on the key misconceptions about dyslexia. The explanations are quite good and succinct and include information about how the symptoms present in older children who have not yet been diagnosed. Read the article

The twice exceptional student, increasingly identified as "2e" is a student who displays both giftedness and a learning difference. This article provides advice for teachers, but parents may find it useful as well. Read the article

This post is written by a researcher and mother whose daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia in fourth grade. The self-esteem boosting conversation tips she shares come from a unique understanding: the mother is dyslexic, too. The post is also an important reminder that an abrupt change in a child's behavior could be an indicator of problems in school. Read the article

This article looks at a new study published in Science Magazine indicating that children with one learning disability are more likely to have a second disability that may be undiagnosed. Read the article

This article from the National Center for Learning Disabilities tackles the question of whether movement therapy can improve attention in kids with ADHD, Autism and other learning differences. After doing their own research, they believe the answer is no. Read the article

The Washington Post looks at the ongoing debate over eliminating the teaching of cursive handwriting in schools. Parents may be interested to hear the argument praising cursive's benefits for some dyslexic students. Read the article

This is a good article for parents who want to determine if their child has a learning difference. As the author states, "The key to identifying LD is therefore to identify areas of strength and weakness.. hone in on the very specific nature of the struggle, so that timely decisions can be made about carefully targeted intervention and support." Read the article

This is an inspiring story of parents of dyslexic children in New Jersey who formed Decoding New Jersey, which now has groups in other states and advocates for awareness and change in both policy and education. Read the article

If you are considering having your child evaluated for a learning difference this is a must-read article about why and how to include your child in the process from the Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities website. Read the article

This brief note from Education Week discusses the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) updated set of guidelines or "best practices" in identifying students with learning disabilities. Read the article

This article looks at how children can benefit from understanding more about their learning disabilities. Demystification, the author says, can improve the child's confidence and ability to help get what they need to succeed. Read the article

This is an important article for all families, although it was written to specifically address the problems students with learning disabilities experience in college. Many of the strategies might be best implemented before any child heads off to college, including the ability to advocate for oneself. Read the article

This is a good article on the effectiveness of brain training from a leading non-profit, National Center for Learning Disabilities. We link directly to page two because it provides a good summary table of seven potential benefits of these programs as well as concerns or downsides.

This article written by a reading specialist emphasizes the importance of identifying learning differences early. The author also explains the Response to Intervention (RTI) program, which is intended to screen for such differences before children slip behind or become discouraged. Read the article

This post, from the National Center for Learning Disabilities, explains in understandable terms the math learning disability of dyscalculia and how it manifests in early elementary school students. Parents who believe their first, second, or third grader shows signs of these specific struggles may need to be proactive with educators since dyscalculia is generally far less understood (and thus less identified) than reading disabilities like dyslexia. Read the article

Understand the Semmelweis Reflex, or the “the reflex-like tendency to reject new evidence or new knowledge because it contradicts established norms, beliefs or paradigms.” Why does it matter? Myths like left- and right-brain thinking, learning styles, and that we only use 10% of our brains are not only wrong but potentially very dangerous. Read the article

This interview with author Susan Cain who has become the voice for dispelling myths about introverts and how to support introverted students in learning environments. If you are a teacher or have an introverted child, you will find her insight quite helpful. Read the article

This Fortune article explores the flaws of the most popular personality test, most specifically that it lacks the scientific reliability so that it does not give a true picture of preferences. Read the article

The Myers-Briggs personality assessment is prevalent in the business and career evaluation community. This article disputes the entire validity of the test, discrediting any scientific rationale for using it. Mindprint considers the Myers-Briggs similar to the the theory of learning styles: interesting perhaps but not at all reliable or useful. Read the article

This article from neurologist and teacher Dr. Judy Willis debunks three common neuromyths. Neuromyths are beliefs purportedly based on neuroscience that, while sounding plausible, are incorrect. Neuromyths include false beliefs that students are left or right brained, that students can be classified by learning style, or that we only use 10% of our brains. They lead to time and money invested in the wrong teaching approaches. Read the article

This blog points to scientific research to debunk the myth that students have "learning styles". The author encourages the use of multiple modes of teaching to keep all learners interested and engaged. Read the article

Instead of looking at "learning styles" this post looks at what is described as a more scientifically proven distinction among learners: working memory. Strategies to reduce distractions and intrusive thoughts on the memory, can free it for cognitive processes and the acquisition of new material. Read the article

This blog from the Washington Post includes a post from well-known professor and author Daniel Willingham. He says, "Researchers have been conducting experiments on learning styles for 50 years. They've been tested with the sorts of materials that kids encounter in schools. They've been tested with kids diagnosed with a learning disability. There just doesn't seem to be much evidence that kids learn in fundamentally different ways." Read the article

Psychologist Dr. Susan Newman provides the research behind the stereotypes of only and first children. She provides 8 suggestions for what parents can proactively do to avoid the negative stereotype traps and nurture the advantages of being first or only. Read the article

Brainpickings explores the history of intelligence testing, including the cultural implications and biases and the role of genetics. This is an overview of what one will find in a book called The Gene. Read the article

The conventional wisdom of simply letting siblings work out their differences on their own might not always be the best course of action, especially when kids have different personality types. Read the article

Child Mind Institute explains the social reasons why girls apologize more than boys and the impact it can have on others' perceptions of them, and, over time, their own self-esteem. The article provides some potential remedies as well. Read the article

Parenting styles in Denmark are believed to contribute to Danish students consistently ranking as the "happiest students in the world." The article attributes their happiness, at least in part, to empathy being taught in schools and significantly reinforced in homes. Read the article

This letter from a mom, who also happens to be a licensed social worker and former principal, offers perspective on how to develop our children's understanding of race, social equity and empathy. Read the article

This Harvard Business School article highlights the impacts a working mother has on the future career choices and attitudes of daughters and sons. The outcomes are primarily positive but differ by gender. Read the article

This article explores the potential danger of being an authentic perfection, including the real potential for self-harm. The article warns that perfectionism can be passed on to children and gives specific advice to help parents avoid instilling perfectionism tendencies in their children. Read the article

This Psychology Today article explores the long-held beliefs about the effects of birth order on personality type and academic achievement. New research shows that those effects might not persist into adulthood, with the exception of slight effects on verbal reasoning. Most importantly, the author warns against using stereotypes and labels for any reason. Read the article

Home should always be a child's safe place, but unfortunately sibling differences can sometimes make one child stand out in a bad way more than others. This blog from Psychology Today provides advice for parents to temper the negative feedback to bring out the goodness in every child. Read the article

This article can be an important reminder to parents about modeling behavior for their children. If parents want children to have happy and successful careers, parents should aim to do the same for themselves. Read the article

This article from Science Daily cites new research that parents' beliefs in their children's academic ability, regardless of whether or not accurate, influences eventual outcomes. The researcher advises parents to 'focus on recognizing the strengths of each of their children and be careful about vocally making comparisons in front of them.' Read the article

This article from Yahoo! Health explores the differences among gifted intelligence, genius, and creative genius. The author discusses the roles of heredity, education and environment. There are no definitive conclusions, but many people may find it a fascinating topic and those with gifted children may find it helpful in understanding their child's potential. Read the article

This blog interview explores the stereotypes of birth order, the reasons why there may be some truth to them, and provides some suggestions on how parents might try to help children avoid falling into the negative stereotypes. Fortunately, the author is quick to note that these are generalities and a lot depends on specific family dynamics and personalities. Read the article

This is a great read if you are the parent of a special needs child, or a friend to a parent of one. This well-written and heartfelt blog speaks to the larger issues families deal with in the process of raising their children. Read the article

This post looks at the relationship between siblings in terms of teasing, and in the most extreme cases, bullying. Parents may dismiss the sibling relationship as harmless, but research shows aggressive sibling behavior can chip away at self-esteem and should not be ignored. Read the article

While we all know we should eat dinner as a family, this post by a professor at Harvard Medical School explains the scientific rationale. Not only does it boost vocabulary and lead to better nutrition, but it eating dinner together also lowers the rate of high-risk behaviors among teens. Read the article

Parenting experts generally agree there are four basic parenting styles. The research supports a correlation between parenting style and children's long-term academic and emotional well-being. This article from non-profit GreatSchools defines these styles and gives parents some guidance on how to adjust their parenting style to address difficult situations. Read the article

This post looks at a new study in Journal of Cognition and Development that examined how siblings teach one another in their home environments. The opportunity for both spontaneous and deliberate teaching moments can have a big influence on development. Read the article

This post from the nonprofit organization Understood.org gives several simple but specific strategies parents can implement to help build strong relationships among siblings. Knowing when to facilitate interaction and when to step aside is a fine art, and parents may find some of these suggestions useful. Read the article

This post, written by two British doctoral students, looks at the role genes play in children’s academic success. They focus on gene-environment correlation, and posit, “Genes are important, not just in educational achievement or intelligence, but in a whole raft of other traits which contribute to how easy and enjoyable children find learning.” Read the article

Ever wish your children told you more about their days at school? This Educated Mom blog looks at ways to allow children more time for reflection and naturally share their experiences and thoughts about their lives. If you don’t ask, they may just tell you, as long as they think you are listening. Read the article

Baby Boomers are the new Grandparents, and are doing it in their their typically large numbers and noteworthy attitudes. What does it mean when Grandma wants to listen to the Beatles instead of reading Goodnight Moon? This Educated Mom blog looks at the generational shift in grandparenting and how the Baby Boomers rock. Read the article

This Educated Mom blog is a humorous take on the road tip, something all families may endure from time to time. While the journey may increase a child’s sense of geography, history, and culture, a mother can never pack enough snacks. Read the article

This is an intriguing article that looks at the studied differences in male and female brains. Using the basis that symptoms for ADHD present differently because of these differences, the author looked into if the same might be true for children with dyslexia. Read the article

This personal post from a mother of a child with learning differences gives a window into the impact it can have on the relationship between husband and wife. She provides her personal tips on how to keep the family intact through what can be a difficult period. Read the article

This New York Times post highlights a common challenge of parenting children with different strengths and needs. The author turns to experts who provide insightful advice for a long-range method of cultivating the passions and confidence of each child. Read the article

Academic Skills

“Schools reward students who consistently do what they are told— and life rewards people who shake things up.” This article explores why schools should be focused on flexible thinking if they want to be ensure college and career readiness. Read the article

This Business Insider article provides data on career success of high school valedictorians. While they are often successful, they tend not to be the most successful. The author provides some reasons why this might be the case. Read the article

Interviews with two specialists in college admissions and teen stress are at the core of this blog. It empathizes with parents who push for the Ivies. Then in provides a healthier approach to re-frame the college admissions process. Read the article

Great Schools gives statistics on the record number of students dropping out of college. The top reasons include not being academically or emotionally prepared, cost, and not picking a good fit college. Read the article

The Washington Post reports on Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The project aims to change the college admissions process at elite schools to alleviate stress and put more emphasis on social and emotional skills. Read the article

For those struggling with what they want to do with their lives, this article provides practical advice on identifying what is important to you. It also offers encouragement on how to stick with it. Read the article

US News provides data on the increasing prevalence of anxiety and depression in college students. It offers cautionary advice for parents and their teens to assure they receive the services they need when the go to college. Read the article

This Atlantic article addresses how foreign language instruction is falling to the wayside in schools, similar to music and arts education. And similar music to arts education, there may be learning and career benefits of dual-language fluency as explained by the language advocates in this article. Read the article

This EdMom blog offers parents long-term perspective on the importance of college admissions goals versus long-term career choices. Given the nature of college admissions process, reading this might alleviate some of the pressure both parents and students feel to have the perfect application. Read the article

This Washington Post opinion page explores the rising grade inflation at colleges and the ambiguity it creates around what students know. It also implies there is no reason to believe it will recede. Read the article

This 32 page report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education addresses the current pressures for academic achievement, the high levels of stress, corresponding concerns about behaviors, and recommendations for colleges to take a proactive role in changing the current culture. Read the article

This blog provides a summary of the traditional guidance of when students should tackle specific college planning tasks (college visits, standardized test prep, etc.) and practical reasons to consider alternative timeframes. We emphasize that this is a personal blog that provides one mother's contradictory opinion. However, it prompts considerations other than the single-minded goal of getting into the best possible college. Read the article

This "advice column" offers some healthy perspective for parents on how to identify what type of college might be best-suited for their children and how to coach children through the stressful admissions process. Read the article

This blog discusses a new program aimed at helping high school and college students to discover their passions and life goals. We know that people are most successful in careers for which they have true passion. Read the article

This interview with author of the book ,The ADHD Guide to Career Success, explores the benefits of ADHD in the workplace. However, it emphasizes the importance of choosing an environment that will be most suitable for the strengths and weaknesses associated with ADHD. Read the article

This blog post provides a simple starting point to help students begin thinking and learning about career possibilities. While we never encourage students to over-plan their futures, having a sense of what you might ultimately want to do in life can be extraordinarily helpful when deciding on a college, summer job or whether or not to take specific classes. Read the article

This US News article, targeted at international students interested in US Ivy League schools, provides universally good advice for all students. The overriding message is to pick a school that is best aligned with your interests, career goals, and personal needs because it is more likely to help you reach your ultimate career goals. While prestige-conscious students (and parents) might not fully believe it, this advice is very sound. Read the article

While it's not uncommon for high performers to say "I work too hard" as their biggest weakness during a job interview, this article explains why it might be a far bigger weakness than they realize. And while working too hard might lead to great performance reviews in an entry level job, it could be harmful for long-term career success. Read the article

This article can be an important reminder to parents about modeling behavior for their children. If parents want children to have happy and successful careers, parents should aim to do the same for themselves. Read the article

Regardless of how much parents might want their children to go to college, for some students it might not be the best next step after high school. This post from the New York Times' Motherlode might be helpful for parents struggling with this situation. Read the article

This edutopia article provides advice from an experienced college counselor identifying key skills that lead to career success. Adults can easily begin to cultivate these skills as early as kindergarten. Read the article

This blog from mom-teacher-writer Jessica Lahey provides valuable advice to parents about the importance of students owning the college admissions process themselves. She suggests that the best role for parents is in the background. Read the article

This article is an excerpt of a book from a former Dean of Students at Stanford who notes the negative effects of overparenting in her worldclass students and in her own Palo Alto community. The book is intended to give parents the courage to break the destructive cycle. Read the article

This blog on KIPP schools' website identifies ten colleges that provide special programs to help ease the transition for low income students to college. Many colleges have similar programs for students with specific needs, and students may want to seriously factor such a program into their college selection process. Read the article

The advice in this article in Harvard Business Review is implicitly targeted at affluent parents and their high potential offspring. For this specific demographic, the advice is quite straight-forward and helpful. Read the article

Students anxious about which college they choose may feel better reading this NPR article and learning that the prestige of the institution seems to have little correlation to feeling engaged and thriving in all aspects of their lives down the road. Read the article

This article in US NEWS looks at a study that shows what happened in college matters more than the prestige of the school when it comes to the happiness of graduates. While many focus on the selectivity of a school when considering its value, this sheds new light on the satisfaction young people experience later on. Read the article

This article in EdSurge looks at the relationship between those who study a foreign language and the skills required for coding, a profession, that is predicted to be in ever growing demand. The thinking is that not only will foreign languages prepare students for a global marketplace, but that learning a second language also prepares students to more easily learn programming languages. Read the article

This article cites a 2012 State of College Admission Report that says extracurricular activities rank 11th on the lists of items admissions counselors consider important. Instead of spreading our children too thin with a heavy load of activities for the sake of resume building, the article suggests letting children concentrate on a few. Read the article

This is an excellent article for parents, giving one mother’s advice on how to shepherd a child through the famously difficult junior year of high school. Although the focus is on 11th grade, the strategies might be best implemented if parents consider the points far earlier, even before their children enter high school. Read the article

This post in Scientific America is written by Scott Barry Kaufman, Director of The Imagination Institute in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Kaufman suggests that the new SAT is still only a measure of, “Convergent thinking: the ability to arrive at the single best answer deemed correct by a select committee.” And we’d do better assessing “Divergent thinking: the ability to generate multiple possibilities, ideas, and solutions to a problem.” Read the article

This post gives straight facts about when to take the SAT and the ACT and how often. While every family should make choices based on their individual situations, parents seeking one strategy for the daunting schedule of test taking might find this month-by-month breakdown a useful reference. Read the article

Brenda Bernstein is known as the essay expert, and in this Educated Mom blog, we hear a few pointers. From college essays to LinkedIn profiles, Bernstein hones in on how writers can tap into their abilities to reflect on and relate their best selves. Read the article

This is a must-read post in The Educated Mom for any student considering an internship. Featured is a woman who landed a competitive placement after working hard at an internship and distinguishing herself among her peers. Read the article

This brief article explains why parents should consider job shadowing for a strong math and science student who may not otherwise have exposure to the types of careers utilizing those skills. Read the article

This NPR story explains the results of a new study showing that high school grades are a better predictor of college success than standardized test scores. The College Board announced in March 2014 that the test format would change in 2016 to address this issue. Read the article

This article in the NY Times profiles Enstitue, a two year program created to be an alternative to college for a select group of talented students interested in learning, "information technology, computer programming and app building via on-the-job experience." Read the article

This blog from Education Week looks at a study that says grit, sometimes called "stick-to-it-ness" was, "nearly as predictive as ACT scores to the college success of young black men who attend mostly white universities." Read the article

This useful site offered by the White House is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center and is designed to help parents and students learn more about the affordability and value of specific colleges. Read the article

This is an important article for all families, although it was written to specifically address the problems students with learning disabilities experience in college. Many of the strategies might be best implemented before any child heads off to college, including the ability to advocate for oneself. Read the article

This post on the Huffington Post is written by the head of a tutoring service focused on the New York City region. The author argues that the pSAT is losing its relevance in light of the changing landscape of standardized tests. Read the article

This blog post will have particular resonance with parents of bright children who struggle with education and finding their way in life. Written by a senior in high school, the post originally appeared in Forbes. Read the article

What is the most important innovation in education technology in the past 200 years? According to MIT, it's the delivery of education via the internet, particularly through the use of MOOC's. At the rapid rate of adoption, the world of higher education could be quite different by the time our kids enter college. Read the article

This edutopia blog from Dr. Judy Wills highlights the importance of having specific goals when choosing ed tech products and the features to look for to have a product meet those goals. Mindprint's philosophy and evaluation criteria is very consistent with these views. Read the article

This blog in The Atlantic not only indicates that playing games strengthens executive function, but it also includes the recommendations for games from a psychologist who uses them with patients to better understand their needs. Read the article

You may be familiar with the colorful and artfully created eeBoo games and products, but this Educated Mom post looks at the creators of the boutique brand. With a special focus on the game, Never Forget a Face, this post sheds new light on the special niche in children’s toys and products and the inspiration behind the concepts and artwork. Read the article

Mindprint’s Nancy Weinstein provides her top picks for board games in this fun Educated Mom post. As someone who has reviewed and analyzed hundreds of games for their cognitive and emotional merits, Nancy is an expert in the field and offers some off-the-beaten-path suggestions to add to your family’s game shelf. Read the article

This article provides some research backing the educational benefit of games for enhancing focus and effort in learning. However, the article cautions, "...it's a little disingenuous to say that games are good for kids...Like all forms of media it depends on the particular games and how they are used." Read the article

How frequently do teachers use games and gaming in the classroom? This article from the nonprofit, Games and Learning, provides detailed results from a survey of 700 teachers on their usage and efficacy, especially in reaching low-performing students. Read the article

If your child is playing online games in the classroom, this article may be of interest. While the story features the pros and cons of online educational games, it does have a potential positive bias, coming from a technology journal. Read the article

This blog discusses the gender gap in spatial reasoning ability which is believed to translate into the gender gap we see in science, engineering and math professions. The author speculates that because boys spend their leisure time playing video games, they increase their spatial reasoning skills. Read the article

This blog post is the "CliffsNotes" version of a lengthy research report on the use of digital technology to inspire artistic creativity. It may help dispel some skepticism about the convergence of art and technology. Read the article

This article from Edutopia provides a good briefing on some gaming terms and the use of "gamification" or incorporating elements of games, such as rewards and competition, into the workplace and classroom. Read the article

Parents of girls may be surprised to learn that 47% of gamers are girls. This blog post suggests that the qualities that draw girls to such games can be used to attract them to science and math, especially the technique of showing how content relates to the real world. Read the article

This blog looks at a recent interview with the co-authors of Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing. It's a must read for parents interested in how to instill a healthy sense of risk-taking in their children. Read the article

This well-researched article from The Atlantic is an expansive and interesting look at the wave of touch-screen games for kids, and how parents, children, developers and experts are responding. Read the article

This Business Insider article provides data on career success of high school valedictorians. While they are often successful, they tend not to be the most successful. The author provides some reasons why this might be the case. Read the article

Read this interesting research on 6th graders from affluent families. It shows that parents who emphasize achievement over kindness have children with higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower self-esteem. Importantly, these children did not have higher achievement than peers whose parents emphasized kindness. Read the article

iNACOL addresses the pitfalls of assigning students letter grades, whether or not the students are successful on these measures. They propose a new system of grading with an emphasis on constructive feedback to foster improvement. Read the article

Mind/Shift explores how receiving grades interferes with students' intrinsic motivation. Some teachers are trying to change their evaluation approaches to keep students wanting to learn rather than just wanting to succeed. Read the article

The Washington Post reports on Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The project aims to change the college admissions process at elite schools to alleviate stress and put more emphasis on social and emotional skills. Read the article

This brief article explains that there is no correlation between chess and academic performance. However, the author still extols the virtues of playing chess for the enjoyment and thinking skills. Read the article

This Washington Post opinion page explores the rising grade inflation at colleges and the ambiguity it creates around what students know. It also implies there is no reason to believe it will recede. Read the article

This 32 page report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education addresses the current pressures for academic achievement, the high levels of stress, corresponding concerns about behaviors, and recommendations for colleges to take a proactive role in changing the current culture. Read the article

This cover story from the American Psychological Association discusses imposter syndrome. Some high achievers struggle with the feeling that they just aren't that smart and that they must work extra hard lest they be "discovered." This article gives examples of the occurrence in PhD students and specific tactics to help higher achievers grow more accepting of themselves. Read the article

This article documents "what our intuition tells us to be true: that more engagement results in higher achievement." It also explains why and provides achievable examples to boost student engagement. Read the article

Teacher Maureen Devlin provides an effective example of a conversation between a parent and child going over a report card. Devlin introduces thoughtful questions to the conversation that help coach children to think about the process and routine by which they find their own success. Read the article

This fact sheet from the Michigan Department of Education states that the earlier parents get involved in their children’s educations the better. It notes the best kind of involvement is that which engages “parents in working directly with their children on learning activities at home.” Read the article

This post is part of a series on PBS.org that looks at what skills children learn and master during each grade. It can be a helpful framework by which to evaluate your own child’s progress, although, as with most things, the nature of your individual child and school will play a large role in your own experiences. Read the article

This is a Q&A with a woman who brought The Race to Nowhere to her community. Those who are familiar with the themes of the film, or who are concerned about the state of student burnout, may find this of particular interest. Read the article

Do you remember the cheating scandal at Harvard a few years ago? How about the stories about parents hiring tutors to write their student’s essays? This Educated Mom blog looks at cheating in the Internet age, and cites one survey in which students agreed: “It’s not cheating if everybody’s doing it.” Read the article

This blog post from The Educated Mom looks at the subject of grades and questions whether an intrinsic love of learning can still be cultivated when there is pressure to attain a particular score. While some students can keep their own inner drive, others become focused on grades at the expense of growth. Read the article

Angela Duckworth, a University of Pennsylvania professor, MacArthur Fellow, and researcher on the importance of "grit" in the achievement is interviewed in this post on the Scholastic site.
Read the article

This Atlantic post discusses research from Harvard University indicating that children place greater value on achievement than kind behavior, at least in part because they believe that is what the parents and teachers in their lives value most. The implication is that if adults model their commitment to the overriding importance of behavior, children will place more value on empathy and kindness. Read the article

Perfectionism in children, and the anxiety that comes with it, is the subject of this Q&A with Thomas Greenspon provided by the Davidson Institutes for Talent Development, a school for gifted children. Precise definitions of the types of perfectionism and ways to address it make this a valuable resource for parents. Read the article

This is a short article highlighting the pros and cons of making test and assignment grades immediately available to parents. As one expert is quoted as saying, "...the line between being involved and being controlling is different for each child, since different kids pick up organization and other academic skills at different speeds." Read the article

If you're wondering how Harvard students got caught up in a cheating scandal, this is worth a read. First, we find out that the take home final for this government class said students “may not discuss the exam with others.” The exam was also open book, open note, open Internet, etc.” Whatever breakdown ensued between individual work and subsequent accusations of plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration is not only a Harvard issue; it’s one that faces an entire generation of learners. Read the article

This is an interesting piece that looks at empirical evidence showing successful athletic programs correlate with successful academic achievement in schools. The author questions the quickness of some to rely on, " stereotypes about dumb jocks, anecdotes, and painful personal memories as their proof," that the opposite is true. Read the article

This blog post, written by a Canadian teacher, argues for the abolishment of ceremonies and systems that place emphasis on extrinsic rather than intrinsic motivation. He looks at three myths about education to prove his point. Read the article

This interesting Huffington Post blog by a social scientist takes a different approach to the discussion of boys lagging behind girls in achievement, both in college admission and in language arts. The perception that academic and written interest is viewed as not being masculine, he says, is at the heart of the crisis. Read the article

The system of "tracking" students in schools may be controversial, but this article looks at a new study showing that sorting by ability raises achievement in reading and math for both low and high scoring children. Read the article

This post is written by a gifted student who believes he sacrificed learning for schooling. The cultural emphasis on success and rote memorization, he says, should be replaced by one that accepts failure as part of the road to growth. Read the article

This short article on pressure and stress looks at the philosophy and writings of well-respected psychologist Ellen Braaten. One key takeaway she says is that, "...every child should have one hour of unstructured free time for every hour of structured extracurricular activities." Read the article

While getting more sleep is every teen's dream, this article looks at the movement to begin class later in the morning to better suit the biology of adolescents and improve academic achievement. Read the article

Why do boys get lower grades than girls but score as high or higher on achievement tests? The author of this online opinion piece in The New York Times says it's because grades are based in part on behavior and non-cognitive skills. Read the article

The author of this blog points to three primary flaws in our educational system's use of grades: they are inflated, they do not increase intrinsic motivation, and they are poor communicators of progress and learning. Read the article

This NY Times blog provides a good explanation of how handwriting is key to reading development. The author provides advice on how to balance the teaching print, cursive and keyboarding. Read the article

Speaking and writing are critical academic and life skills that develop over time. Our experts provide rough benchmarks of what to expect and what steps you should consider if your child seems to be lagging behind peers. Read the article

Academic research indicates kids still need to engage in some rote memorization in order to insure long-term success and higher-level thinking. The advent of technology does not negate the need to have basic math facts and word roots at one’s fingertips. Read the article

This blog is part of a series of posts on Mindprint's The Educated Mom that help explain particular cognitive traits and how they relate to children’s experiences in school and home. This post focuses on visual motor speed, the ability to efficiently integrate gross or fine motor skills to complete a visual task. Read the article

Do you know how your child sees the world? Literally? This Educated Mom blog looks at her recent trip to the eye doctor and the discovery that her daughter sees things in a way all her own. As with other issues, parents do well to remember that how a child learns, communicates and even sees, will be unique. Read the article

This article makes the case for the continued teaching of handwriting and spelling. The author calls on scientific evidence to explain how handwriting and spelling skills are foundational skills for reading fluency. Read the article

Dysgraphia is the lesser known learning disability often found in children with dyslexia. It involving difficulties in forming written letters and sometimes spelling. This blog post from Reading Rockets was written by the International Dyslexia Association to provide an introductory understanding of the disorder. Read the article

This learning specialist tells an intriguing story of how her time in French schools convinced her of the importance handwriting has in the development of higher-order thinking, reading, and writing skills. Read the article

Learning to write in cursive is not a requirement of the new Common Core Standards, but this article in The Atlantic still finds a somewhat romanticized view of the values of longhand. Read the article

The Washington Post looks at the ongoing debate over eliminating the teaching of cursive handwriting in schools. Parents may be interested to hear the argument praising cursive's benefits for some dyslexic students. Read the article

This NPR story includes interviews with researchers who explain how the physical act of writing enhances brain development around skills including comprehension, grammar and spelling. Contrary to many beliefs, there is no proof that cursive is more effective than print, but both are far more effective than typing. Read the article

This Scientific American Q&A explains how background noise can affect focus and retention. The key takeaway is that students really should not be studying with the television on or in a room where others are talking. Note to readers: There are other articles in our collection that explain how soft music might be acceptable, and potentially even beneficial for some.Read the article

For many families, nightly homework is undeniably one of the largest stressors for both parents and children. This Motherlode blog provides succinct and valuable insight on how parents should view homework. Read the article

This excellent article from PBS Parents provides advice for parents of elementary school children to develop independent homework habits that will benefit their children throughout their school years. Read the article

Hard work should be valued and praised, but no one wants to see a child always working harder and longer than peers. Our experts discuss the reasons children may take longer and what parents can do to help. Read the article

As the debate on how much homework children should have continues to rage on, this article provides actual specific, research-based evidence that correlates homework to test performance. The answer is that homework should be given regularly and take approximately one hour. Most importantly is that the child should work through the solutions independently to see any meaningful benefit. Read the article

According to the research cited in this article, there is conflicting evidence about positive (or negative) impact of music on learning and memory. The effectiveness might be personality-dependent. The research implies that parents should allow students to have background music assuming they perform well. Read the article

This post explains that while differences in IQ may be subtle, differences in learning strategies are large and profoundly significant on performance. The good news, the authors say, is that we can all incorporate learning strategies “skilled learners” put to use. These post outlines 25 such learning strategies and is a useful reference for parents and students, alike. Read the article

This insightful post written by a teacher identifies the value of well-designed homework. He mentions how sleep should still be prioritiezed, and cautions that effective study habits are often uninterrupted by social media. Read the article

While parents should allow children to choose and develop the study habits that are most effective, current research shows that most students will process and remember information much better if they take handwritten notes rather than type them. Read the article

This post highlights the importance of metacognition, or awareness of how you learn, in students' performance. A useful list of questions students can ask themselves about how they learn may help some cope more effectively with school work. Read the article

Written by a father who attempts to do his daughter's homework for one week after unsuccessfully lobbying her school to lighten the homework load, this piece in The Atlantic ignited debate about the appropriate balance to promote meaningful learning. No resolution is offered, but perhaps some empathy from like-minded parents. Read the article

Setting the intention to manage one's time is a first step for anyone hoping to work effectively. This article is intended for teens with learning differences but is useful for anyone. Read the article

According to this article from Mindshift, parents may be justified if they have concerns that their children are too distracted by technology while doing homework. Although multitasking is an important life skill, the article cautions that doing so while learning new things can mean children, "...understand and remember less, and they have greater difficulty transferring their learning to new contexts." Read the article

Flipped instruction, when students watch a video of a lesson at home and do their "homework" in class in the presence of a teacher, is the subject of this blog post, which is critical of the practice in part because it fails to address differentiated learning. Read the article

This is a concise explanation of what is meant by "flipped classroom" or "flipped lesson." Parents should know that in this approach, students watch a lesson or video at home and school sessions are devoted to practice and clarification. Read the article

The "curse of expertise" is a term used to describe the inability of an expert to actually explain what they know to those who want to learn. This post looks at simple ways to break this curse, which may be particularly helpful to parents helping their children with homework, or even to those who are learning, as they seek better ways to communicate with experts and teachers. Read the article

This article from Science Daily summarizes a large study on math achievement among 5th-10th graders in Germany. While innate intelligence may influence math achievement in early years, study habits and confidence become far more important as students get older. Read the article

This post looks at the scientific explanation for the need for adequate sleep. The final paragraph provides useful tips on how to encourage healthy sleep routines, especially for busy students. Read the article

This article provides sage and specific advice on the right level of parental involvement with homework. Although parents may find it difficult to respect these guidelines, they may contribute to long term success. Read the article

This article from The Atlantic takes yet another stand on how much parental involvement is the right amount. Whatever your parenting style, providing the context to your children as to why it matters to work hard in high school is beneficial in the long run. Read the article

Yes, another article criticizing the amount of homework children are assigned. This one from the NY Times highlights the commonality of homework dread and one family's strategy to keep it from being all-consuming. Read the article

New research from Johns Hopkins and Montgomery County Public Schools shows how creating learning communities for middle school students can have a significant, positive effect on learning outcomes. Having students spend more time with a core teacher and group of peers led students to "perceive their school as positive, equitable place where teachers focused on helping all students learn" [rather than a primary focus on grades and achievement]. Read the article

This personal narrative relives a parents' decision to switch schools for their youngest child when the school could not meet their son's needs for accommodations. This is a common emotional dilemma for many parents of children with learning differences. Read the article

A small research study rates students' satisfaction with being the oldest or youngest in the class when they reached adolescence. This article can help you weigh the pros and cons of a decision. Read the article

This US News article explains why students interested in an academically rigorous curriculum might choose an IB program instead of taking AP Classes. According to the article, there are approximately 800 IB programs, with the opportunity for an IB diploma, in the US. Read the article

This blog post from the non-profit ASCD enumerates the key ingredients for successful student engagement and learning. When parents are evaluating schools they might want to evaluate whether or not the school embraces these instructional approaches. Educators can use this post as quick reminder of what strategies they want to incorporate into their classrooms. Read the article

This Mindshift post details the data-backed decline of creativity both as a population and by individuals. It infers that the existing school culture is the cause of the decline and proposes how schools can reverse the trend. Read the article

This Atlantic article explores the increasing amounts of stress reported among students at elite private high schools. The article confirms parents' suspicions that high school is indeed more stressful than when they were kids. And though it does not provide solutions, it emphasizes the importance of helping kids manage stress to avoid the negative long-term impacts of chronic stress. Read the article

This article in the New Yorker debunks the myth of the advantage of red-shirting children. This popular trend has parents keeping children back so they are the oldest in the class, and presumably will have a leg up on their peers in maturity, academics and sports. While some children may have legitimate reasons for waiting an extra year before starting kindergarten, the takeaway is that red-shirting shouldn't be done for purely competitive reasons. Read the article

This is a handy list from Great Schools featuring questions to ask during a look at a prospective school, with specific items to inquire about at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Read the article

This post looks at a survey of “unschoolers”, children who are homeschooled in a way that lets them control their educations, with no formal curriculum. The question of how these children feel about their educations, and their abilities to attend college and be career-ready is looked at in more detail in the survey results provided. Read the article

This blog post looks at a new study in American Sociological Review that seeks to explain the factors that contribute to cliques in high schools. Magnet schools, or those focused with “fewer people and less academic choice” create an environment in which students are forced, “…to mingle more with dissimilar peers.” Read the article

This Educated Mom post looks at the award-winning documentary American Promise and the subject of race and independent schools. Are students of color given opportunities to thrive in these traditionally elite and homogenous environments? As the producer of the film implied in one discussion, with the globalization and changing of the American demographic, perhaps it’s the white students who have the most to lose if we fail in this effort. Also noted is the article in the Princeton Alumni Weekly by Otis Lawrence Graham. Read the article

Are entrance exams a thing of the past? This Educated Mom blog post looks at the announcement made by Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York to drop the ERB tests commonly used for entrance into elite Kindergarten programs, as well as announcements by some colleges to offer detailed essay assignments in lieu of Standardized test scores. Read the article

We’re not talking about a visit from Mickey; we’re talking about a school district turning to Disney to help improve customer service and experience. With district budgets and test scores under tight scrutiny, this use of time and funds is a controversial management choice. Read the article

The look and experience of college is changing, as many parents may be realizing, with the popularity of Massively Open On-line courses, or MOOC’s. This Educated Mom post is a useful summary of the phenomenon and looks at the powerful reach these courses have when a single university such as Stanford can reach 300,000 students with six courses. Read the article

We’re not talking college; we’re talking preschool. This Educated Mom post profiles a mother in Los Angeles and the competitive environment she and her family face when trying to choose and find placement in a preschool. Those in major cities may relate, while the rest of us read with amazement that the process we associate with college finds its way to these early years. Read the article

This blog post from The Educated Mom looks at the question of “redshirting” young children, a practice of holding them back a year before starting kindergarten. While increasingly popular, the practice is not recommended by neuroscientist Sam Wang, who suggests that children learn best when motivated by peers who are slightly ahead of them and that it is time spent in school that makes children succeed. Read the article

Students will inevitably encounter a teacher with whom, at a minimum, they do not "connect". This Huffington Post blog explains a few ways to turn the experience into a teaching moment. Read the article

This Huffington Post article describes a recent study indicating there is no positive correlation between single-sex classes and achievement. While single-sex schools may be the best choice for some students, this study indicates that parents should not make that choice based primarily on anticipated improved achievement. Read the article

If you are considering homeschooling your child, or just curious about the topic, you may enjoy this blog post from a homeschooling mom who gives her response to five common perceptions about families that homeschool. Read the article

This article is written by a mother, who is also an author, who had to decide if her fourth child would benefit from going to a private high school. It offers the personal account of the reasons she made the trade-offs with public school. Read the article

This article highlights how students need different approaches to learning for two primary reasons. The first is that "one size does not fit all" and children learn better from different approaches. The second is highlighted by a metaphor: just as we best maintain physical health through a variety of foods and exercises, we need a variety of learning opportunities and subjects to optimize learning. Read the article

This Atlantic interview with Glenn Harlan Reynolds, author of The New School, looks at Reynold's opinion of our current school system is antiquated and at, "...his conclusion that the future of American education is rooted in technology, choice, and customization." Read the article

This article states, "...we do not have a systematic way of meeting the needs of the gifted" and continues by explaining the detrimental effects of not properly stimulating profoundly gifted children. One solution, the article presents, however, are online options, not only for intellectual growth, but to find communities of peers with similar abilities. Read the article

This is a review of the book, "The Smartest Kids in The World: And How They Got That Way." Parents may find the review (and the book) interesting because the author gets an inside view of the education systems in Finland, South Korea and Poland through the perspectives of Americans studying abroad in those countries. Read the article

When is it advised to hold a child back a year or repeat a grade? This infographic walks parents through three key questions to consider and addresses the advantages and disadvantages of the decision. Read the article

This blog post explores the benefits of self-directed learning, a method used in some private schools. This curriculum relies on children's natural curiosity to guide them and uses natural, every day experiences. The article claims that this type of learning environment can work for almost all children, even those who need structure. Read the article

This article in Education Week discusses the current state of Catholic schools. Enrollment has been dropping but achievement scores outpace peer schools. Some educators credit this to the schools' discipline and values; others say it's due in part to their ability to expel poor performers. Read the article

This Atlantic article written by Chester Finn, Jr., a former assistant secretary of education under Ronald Reagan, describes the declining enrollment in private schools. Finn states, "While unemployment remains high, the marginal advantage of investing thirty or fifty thousand dollars a year in private schooling is diminishing, particularly when those dollars are invested in low-selectivity, lower-status private institutions." Read the article

This post written by Jim Childress, who worked with Nobel laureate Jim Watson, advises us to think about the spaces in which true invention flows. He says, "... you have to create excitement about science, math, and engineering by designing places not simply to impart facts and figures, but flexible spaces where young people want to be, hang out after class, share ideas, and test what they have learned through real-world applications." Read the article

This article provides an analysis of how Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) could one day be used in K-12 situations. The adoption may be best, the article states, for older students, homeschoolers and for the review of standardized tests, such as AP exams. Read the article

This article in the NY Times profiles Enstitue, a two year program created to be an alternative to college for a select group of talented students interested in learning, "information technology, computer programming and app building via on-the-job experience." Read the article

This article from Harvard Magazine explains how the institution is grappling with MOOCs. Although not all professors are embracing the movement, adoption seems to be accelerating at Harvard and similar institutions. Read the article

This is an in-depth piece on the potential benefits of character education in schools. Educators report an increase in achievement and lessoning of intrusive behavior when the respectful behavior is integrated into the entire school community. Read the article

This is a concise explanation of what is meant by "flipped classroom" or "flipped lesson." Parents should know that in this approach, students watch a lesson or video at home and school sessions are devoted to practice and clarification. Read the article

School Choice is the topic of this blog post from Great Schools. Parents who want to learn more about what terms mean, or what makes a STEM school a STEM school, will appreciate the links to video and blog explanations. Read the article

Well-respected EdWeek blogger Walt Garder shares his perspective on why student engagement starts strong but drops off significantly by high school. High school classrooms, he says, are obsolete and teachers are stymied in their efforts to implement change in most public schools. Read the article

With a focus on budgets, this article from the Huffington Post looks at what happens when traditional public schools lose students to charter schools or other factors, but retain those with special needs. The result is a relative increase in that population. Read the article

If your child may be switching schools or you are in the process of selecting a new one, this article from Great Schools may be of interest. The story starts with a overview of how best to assess possible schools and then focuses on issues related to middle school selection. Read the article

This article from Education Week looks at a new study of charter school performance. While some improvement is noted, it is important to look at the full context of the study described. Read the article

In this article, a reporter from New Republic looks at tweets to determine how students cope with boredom in school. How students cope with boredom can determine if it becomes toxic or an opportunity to refocus creativity. Read the article

What is the most important innovation in education technology in the past 200 years? According to MIT, it's the delivery of education via the internet, particularly through the use of MOOC's. At the rapid rate of adoption, the world of higher education could be quite different by the time our kids enter college. Read the article

A study from the UK shows that teaching students philosophy in a format that required them to consider and discuss philosophical questions in their lives (as opposed to studying philosophers) had a significant positive impact on math and reading skills. The greatest impact was seen among economically-disadvantaged students. Read the article

A teacher explores the importance of giving students longer, critical thinking problems and forcing them to spend the time to think through the problems in detail. As he rightly explains, in the real world there are rarely "fast thinking" problems and yet that is the majority of the problem solving students do in school. Read the article

This brief article explains that there is no correlation between chess and academic performance. However, the author still extols the virtues of playing chess for the enjoyment and thinking skills. Read the article

While we can't really raise children to be brilliant, there is a lot adults can do to make sure that children develop the critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills that will improve life success. This Mind/Shift previews a book on this topic. Read the article

This article explores the inherent nature of the scientific journey which might lead students to believe they lack the talent to be scientists. And how educators can change that mindset. Read the article

This Mind/Shift article highlights a successful group math curriculum, Complex Instruction, that uses authentic problem solving techniques that has transformed math perceptions for students in urban districts. The approach requires teacher (and maybe student) re-training, but has been shown to have significantly positive results. Read the article

This edutopia article explores a teacher's personal experience observing and developing abstract reasoning skills in high school. The key takeaway is that the science shows us that students come into the classroom with varying abilities but all still at an age of growth and teachers have the opportunity to effectively develop abstract reasoning skills through good pedagogy. Read the article

This article offers another definition of abstract thinking or reasoning which might be helpful for those who want more examples of how abstract reasoning skills might apply in other situations and how they differ from other reasoning skills. Mindprint assesses abstract reasoning and offers its own definition and strategies for supporting this important learning skill. Read the article

This handout from a Stanford University professor provides specific guidance for parents to encourage their children to enjoy math and not grow discouraged. Boaler relates much of her research to the work of fellow Stanford professor Carol Dweck. Read the article

This MindShift post discusses the critical importance of developing questioning skills in the 21st century and laments the reasons that schools do not teacher or foster this habit of mind. Read the article

Strong spatial skills can be an overlooked gateway to STEM careers. This article discusses why spatial skills matter and some simple, practical ways to help students, particularly girls, develop their mental visualization and orientation. Read the article

This is a wonderful, research-based paper explaining the importance of students developing automaticity with math facts. It sets expectations by age and provides useful approaches to helping students develop their math fact fluency. Read the article

Spatial skills may be the most neglected of the core cognitive skills, because we use them less often in academic settings. However, those with strong spatial skills often excel in science, engineering, and other creative pursuits. Parents can cultivate spatial skills in young children in a variety of ways. This article from Mind/Shift suggests 15 books for pre-school and early elementary students to help encourage spatial reasoning. Read the article

This primer from the BBC website provides a great explanation of the types of thinking involved in computer science. It provides relevant examples that can help readers understand why computational thinking is so important for everyone, not just computer scientists. Read the article

This Mind/Shift article addresses the value of "embodied learning" or the importance of movement when students are learning challenging new concepts. Engaging students beyond just their "learning brains" can have even greater benefits for students with test anxiety and attention weaknesses. Read the article

This opinion column in the Washington Post addresses concerns about emphasizing the importance of science and math at the expense of a liberal arts education. The author explores the backgrounds of some of our country's greatest tech entrepreneurs, all who studied liberal arts. Read the article

This article discusses new research citing why strong, self-confident math students, particularly women, still opt out of STEM careers. Despite self-confidence, if students are not recognized for their strong skills or have not developed a strong interest in a particular field, they will not pursue a math-related career. The research implies the solution may be to offer more recognition to our most talented math students. Read the article

This Mindprint newsletter discusses the importance of math in every day life and provides suggestions for boosting the practical number skills students will use throughout their lives. Read the article

This Mindprint newsletter explores the oft-neglected but important skill of spatial perception. While this skill comes more naturally to some than others, developing this skill can help a student in everything from geometry to physics to art classes. Read the article

There is a difference between not enjoying math and struggling with the mechanics or concepts. Understanding the causes of any struggles is a critical first step in helping a child succeed. Our experts explain the potential root causes of math struggles and suggest proven strategies. Read the article

Most schools' prevailing approach to math has disengaged or lost many students. In this article in the New York Time's Motherlode column, the author explains why the current approach may be wrong and then recommends specific resources for parents to work with their children on problem solving. Read the article

This edutopia offers a superb explanation of the approach and mindset needed to be a truly good math problem solver. A key takeaway is that experience is the key, so with practice anyone can become an experienced problem solver. Read the article

While this article is not an easy read, the key takeaways are essential for parents and teachers. That is, the current system of timed math performance in elementary school leads to a disproportionately high number of children and adults that do not like math and/or have math anxiety. Read the article

As the debate on how much homework children should have continues to rage on, this article provides actual specific, research-based evidence that correlates homework to test performance. The answer is that homework should be given regularly and take approximately one hour. Most importantly is that the child should work through the solutions independently to see any meaningful benefit. Read the article

This article in Pacific Standard looks at a study that highlighted the inter-related skills involved with math. One issue, the researchers found, was that people are not very good at knowing their own strengths and weaknesses in this multifaceted elements of math, and underestimate or overestimate their skills to their own detriment. Read the article

This is an outstanding post about what has become an overused and misunderstood buzzword in education, critical thinking. If you suspect that the term has lost its power and been swept up in the educational jargon of new curriculum standards, you are most certainly correct. The author traces the term to its origins and gives helpful advice on how to reclaim the heart of the important skill. Read the article

If your child struggles with math, this blog post might be a great way to step back and re-evaluate your approach. It provides step-by-step guidance on how to dissect basic math problems so students can have those "aha" moments. Read the article

Academic research indicates kids still need to engage in some rote memorization in order to insure long-term success and higher-level thinking. The advent of technology does not negate the need to have basic math facts and word roots at one’s fingertips. Read the article

This blog is part of a series of posts on Mindprint's The Educated Mom that help explain particular cognitive traits and how they relate to children’s experiences in school and home. This post focuses on spatial perception, or the mind’s ability to process visual material such as maps, graphs, or symbols. Read the article

This blog is part of a series of posts on Mindprint's The Educated Mom that help explain particular cognitive traits and how they relate to children’s experiences in school and home. This post focuses on abstract reasoning, which is the ability to draw inferences, and analyze information involving objects, images, space or numbers. Abstract reasoning is used in all subjects but is most often associated with learning in math and science. Read the article

This article in Great Schools does a good job examining the idea of “tracking” students in math, and the consequences it can have not only during the high school experience but when students enter college. Read the article

This Educated Mom blog features an interview with New York City public school teacher, Alycia Zimmerman, the creator of a photo on fractions featuring Lego bricks that went viral. Parents of elementary school aged children may enjoy hearing about how she came up with a method for instruction that tapped the passionate interest of her students and their parents. Read the article

This post profiles Vanessa Vakharia, Canada’s Math Guru who established her cozy math tutoring studio as a kind of “hang out” for teens honing their math skills. From candles to tea latte, the tutoring spots are her way of cultivating a love of math and conviction that math can be cool and social. Having struggled with math in her younger days, Vakharia believes anyone can come to love and excel in the subject. Read the article

This Educated Mom blog looks at the official educational unit of the popular plastic bricks, LEGO. Many schools are inviting the company into their classrooms as part of LEGO EDUCATION, a way of engaging students in STEAM and STEAM that may remind them a bit of their favorite toys with added features. Read the article

By now, you may have heard of programs called STEAM which put the “A” in STEM. That “A” refers to the Arts, and the authors of this journal article helped put it there. Artists, this Educated Mom blog explains, are another creative and vital segment needed in the fields commonly reserved for those who stand out in math and science. Read the article

This Educated Mom blog looks at the book, Old Dogs, New Math: Homework Help for Puzzled Parents. The post interviews one of the book’s authors, and provides hope for parents who are wondering why “they’re no longer teaching math the way we learned it!” Read the article

Most teachers acknowledge the fact that children begin the school year having forgotten much of the previous year’s work. Others, however, say, the differentiation is made more obvious because some kids do summer programs to get ahead. The blog from The Educated Mom asks a math teacher to provide parents with some good advice to avoid the summer slide. Read the article

Many parents of grade school children are familiar with the term “New Math” and most have opinions about it. This Educated Mom blog includes an interview with a long time math instructor who gives basic information about Singapore Math, Everyday Math, and others. Read the article

Here is a blog from a Stanford PhD candidate and former high school math teacher highlighting why hands-on approaches like workbooks and games may sometimes be preferable to apps or computer-based learning for math. Read the article

This article from professor Daniel Willingham explains why some people have difficulty with mathematical concepts but provides reassurance that most students are very capable of mastering high school mathematics. Read the article

This brief article explains why parents should consider job shadowing for a strong math and science student who may not otherwise have exposure to the types of careers utilizing those skills. Read the article

This article co-written by noted researcher and professor Daniel Willingham, explains the specifics of math anxiety, delves into some of the causes, and provides some research-backed solutions to reduce it. Read the article

This article provides a wonderful visualization of how the most creative and innovative thinkers may simply be better and "connecting the dots" between known information. The article provides a few simple techniques to enable people to improve this skill. Read the article

Parents enjoying statistics will appreciate this international comparison on students' achievement in mathematics. No surprise that East Asian countries came out on top and the US continues to lag European and Asian countries. On a positive note, US performance seems to be improving, particularly among 4th graders. Perhaps most relevant in the "what can parents do category" is to view the significantly high correlations between positive attitude toward math and and long-term math achievement. A key takeaway is that parents have a critical role in shaping their children's long-term success in math by instilling a positive attitude at an early age. Read the article

This is a refreshing perspective on why many students do not like math and suggests ways to improve math curricula. Some aspects of the post are more relevant to teachers than parents, but cultivating a love of math by relating it to everyday occurrences is a strategy parents can use at home. Read the article

This blog discusses the gender gap in spatial reasoning ability which is believed to translate into the gender gap we see in science, engineering and math professions. The author speculates that because boys spend their leisure time playing video games, they increase their spatial reasoning skills. Read the article

This article from Education Week highlights promising results from a recent study on a blended math learning program that showed demonstrably improved results among high school students. Read the article

Certain ways of teaching math lead to problems understanding fractions, this article from Education Week states. And the problem is widespread. The article highlights new approaches, some of which parents may incorporate at home, as well. Read the article

This blog is about a toy that was designed specifically to attract young girls to engineering. The creator cites the research of Carol Dweck on the importance of exposing children to possibilities at a young age and teaching the benefits of little failures. Read the article

This article explains a study of second graders published in Child Development: "...cultural stereotypes about math are absorbed strikingly early in development," is says, "prior to ages at which there are gender differences in math achievement." Read the article

This post written by Jim Childress, who worked with Nobel laureate Jim Watson, advises us to think about the spaces in which true invention flows. He says, "... you have to create excitement about science, math, and engineering by designing places not simply to impart facts and figures, but flexible spaces where young people want to be, hang out after class, share ideas, and test what they have learned through real-world applications." Read the article

This blog from Mind/Shift advocates the importance of programming and computer science classes, discussing reasons the work prepares students for challenges beyond careers in computer programming. Read the article

This blog discusses how late bloomers learned to love math through visualization, rather than with the numbers and formulas typically used in classrooms. The post suggests it's not too late to reach older children and inspire them to love math, too. Read the article

Parents of girls may be surprised to learn that 47% of gamers are girls. This blog post suggests that the qualities that draw girls to such games can be used to attract them to science and math, especially the technique of showing how content relates to the real world. Read the article

Looking at Nobel-Prize winning scientists as examples, this article advocates for "arts-infused science education," which brings the creative and visualization strengths of the arts to those who study science. Read the article

Here is more research looking at how to keep children, girls in particular, confident in math. Instead of looking at math ability as "fixed", children should be encouraged to view their ability as improvable with effort and to accept little failures along the way. Read the article

Math anxiety is common, can start in the early years and has a negative impact on those who suffer from it. This article is a useful reminder for parents and teachers that they can help students overcome the self-sabatoge and gain confidence in their skills and abilities to cope. Read the article

By 2020, there will be 1 million unfilled computer programming jobs, according to this article, which looks at a new series of short films designed to get kids excited about the potential career choice. A link to the film is included.What Do You Think? Read the article

Many parents understand the benefits of introducing letters and literacy skills to their young children, but this post looks at a study showing the benefit of speaking about numbers and math with the same committment. Read the article

High school students are showing more interest in pursuing careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, (STEM) according to a study discussed in this blog post. How to maintain that interest, and how to reach girls, who are showing a decreased focus on STEM, are questions the study's authors pose. Read the article

This blog bemoans the decline of "tinkering" among today's students. The freedom to experiment without a fear of failure or pressure to perform should be reclaimed, this author says, if we want to inspire a generation of STEM innovators. Read the article

This article from Science Daily summarizes a large study on math achievement among 5th-10th graders in Germany. While innate intelligence may influence math achievement in early years, study habits and confidence become far more important as students get older. Read the article

A new study from Harvard debunks the conventional wisdom that studying music in the early years improves students' math performance. The authors still encourage students to study music for its intrinsic value. Read the article

If there was any doubt about the value in teaching to students' interests, this blog describes a study showing how algebra performance improved when problems were customized to students' extra-curricular likes. Read the article

This article from Great Schools explains what you should expect your child to be learning in science at various grade levels. It includes links to the National Science Education Standards for those interested in digging deeper. Read the article

This article from Scientific American explains how strong visual-spatial abilities, abilities often used by scientists, are under-emphasized on standardized IQ tests. Students with such strengths may not be selected for gifted and talented programs despite their high potential. Read the article

This math teacher and blogger does a nice job summarizing new math and STEM education research published in 2013. While the research covers a broad range of material, the highlights include evidence that gender differences are real; early math numeracy does matter; and non-traditional approaches can have superior results. Read the article

This post, from the National Center for Learning Disabilities, explains in understandable terms the math learning disability of dyscalculia and how it manifests in early elementary school students. Parents who believe their first, second, or third grader shows signs of these specific struggles may need to be proactive with educators since dyscalculia is generally far less understood (and thus less identified) than reading disabilities like dyslexia. Read the article

Professor John Gabrieli explains the differences in neuroplasticity in the "dyslexic brain" and how that affects reading fluency. His findings emphasize the importance of early intervention rather than what he terms a "wait to fail" model. Read the article

Understand why teachers use reading levels (also known as lexiles) and also how to use them to help support students, not prevent them from reading what they might want to read. They key point is that they can provide effective guidance but they should not be rigidly interpreted. Read the article

The National Council on Teacher Quality explains the research on the most effective strategies to teach fundamental reading skills. The lack of adherence to research-backed approaches could explain why students are not meeting basic reading requirements in fourth grade. Read the article

A study from the UK shows that teaching students philosophy in a format that required them to consider and discuss philosophical questions in their lives (as opposed to studying philosophers) had a significant positive impact on math and reading skills. The greatest impact was seen among economically-disadvantaged students. Read the article

This NY Times blog provides a good explanation of how handwriting is key to reading development. The author provides advice on how to balance the teaching print, cursive and keyboarding. Read the article

This open letter from the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) clarifies the organization's interpretation of the research on the importance of specific methods for teaching reading to all children, especially those with dyslexia. Parents concerned about their children's reading fluency should understand how their child is being taught reading and if this method is endorsed by IDA. Read the article

This lengthy 2009 paper from the American Academy of Pediatrics goes into detail about the diagnosis, prevalence and potential treatments for children with dyslexia. The emphasis is on early identification and intervention and highlighting therapies that have no proven efficacy (e.g. vision therapy). Read the article

This NPR post explains why vocabulary building is at the core of building reading comprehension skills. It provides specific advice on how to build vocabulary skills, including the importance of repeated, multi-modal exposure. Read the article

This article explores the strengths and struggles of children who have a dyslexia diagnosis. It offers encouragement that children with dyslexia might be pre-disposed to other, innate talents which parents will want to nurture and cultivate. However, it also cautions about the importance of early identification and intervention for students who might have a reading disorder. Read the article

This Mind/Shift blog addresses the importance of reading aloud to middle school children. Among the reasons, "a child’s reading level doesn’t catch up to his listening level until about the eighth grade." Read the article

This important guide from the Fordham Institute explains the five essential elements of effective reading instruction, which are critical for at-risk readers, including those mildly at risk. It expresses concerns that many whole-language literacy programs fail to diligently address all five essential elements. We agree with all the key points in this paper, but caution readers to recognize that students who are not at risk for reading difficulties can be very successful without a program that adheres strictly to these principles. Read the article

Despite the prevalence of dyslexia among students, estimated as high as one in five students, school districts vary greatly on their criteria for giving students an IEP that will meet their very specific learning needs. This Mind/Shift articles explores the challenges families face to get the right services and accommodations for their children. Read the article

For struggling readers or those with a reading disability, structured instruction is crucial in developing reading fluency. This article from the International Dyslexia Association explains the key elements of structured literacy. Parents will want to insist that their struggling readers are given proper instruction in all of these areas. Read the article

This article is based on an interview of teachers from an academically advanced high school who discuss the critical reading skills needed to be successful on AP exams, college, and beyond. Perhaps not surprisingly in the digital age, one of the biggest challenges is to have bright students slow down and read more deliberately. Read the article

This 4th of July weekend newsletter discusses the importance of learning history in developing critical thinking skills and provides three picks for helping kids learn more about history. It also features the Educated Mom's take on jury duty. Read the article

This blog post explains why we should not motivate children to read using material rewards, such as money or prizes. The desire to read needs to come from within to be sustainable. Adults should, however, help children discover a love of reading. The author also promotes the book-a-day challenge for which we have less enthusiasm, as it begins to resemble extrinsic motivation and simply is not manageable for many children. Read the article

This article written by two physicians describes signs of dyslexia often overlooked in intellectually gifted children. The authors provide very specific concerns for parents to look for if they suspect an undiagnosed reading struggle. Read the article

This brief article from non-profit Understood.org discusses the Orton-Gillingham reading program, designed specifically to give intensive phonics and decoding instruction to struggling readers. If you have a student who is reading below grade level you will want to understand if this program would be good for your child. Read the article

If you have concerns about your child reading for pleasure, this NY Times column provides valuable recommendations from a respected education researcher and the mom-author on how to foster a love independent reading at home. Read the article

Parents of struggling readers or seemingly unmotivated students may find this article in the Hechinger Report of value. It explains the key to success is engagement, and how engagement takes different forms for different students. The non-profit CAST, founder of Universal Design for Learning standards which can best be described as "essential for some, good for all," is using technology to engage students through varied learning approaches. Read the article

This New Yorker article describes very interesting research on the correlation of brain development and reading among children in grades K-3. The research suggests there might be early intervention opportunities for students that might be predisposed to dyslexia and the importance of addressing problems with struggling readers as early as possible. Read the article

This is an outstanding post about what has become an overused and misunderstood buzzword in education, critical thinking. If you suspect that the term has lost its power and been swept up in the educational jargon of new curriculum standards, you are most certainly correct. The author traces the term to its origins and gives helpful advice on how to reclaim the heart of the important skill. Read the article

Are you wondering if your child is progressing with his or her reading at the appropriate pace? While each child is different, it is useful to understand the expected growth so that you can intercept and support any setbacks. This post gives a specific breakdown of expected progress from age 1 through 13. Read the article

This post on Edudemic is a great resource with links to help better understand dyslexia. Given the prevalence of learning disabilities, all of us might benefit from a better understanding. Read the article

This piece explores the reasons why we might understand and retain information better with traditional books than we do with electronic devices and audio books. Rather than suggesting that we throw out our devices, the author provides ways to use this knowledge to adjust our approach to electronic tools. Read the article

This blog in The New York Times looks at a recent survey done by Scholastic, which indicates that children who are given a choice of what to read during the school day are more likely to continue to read for pleasure throughout middle and high school. Parents and teachers should take these statistics into consideration as they help their children balance the need for breadth and depth of reading materials and their natural interests. Read the article

This blog is part of a series of posts on Mindprint's The Educated Mom that help explain particular cognitive traits and how they relate to children’s experiences in school and home. This post focuses on verbal reasoning, the ability to use words to draw inferences from limited information. Read the article

Thousands, if not millions, of parents have enjoyed the illustrations of Paul Zelinsky, especially his lift-the-flap book edition of Wheels on the Bus. But most may not know that this children’s book illustrator honed his skills at Yale University along side another popular artist, Sandra Boynton. This Educated Mom post may give parents of creative children some encouragement as they mull over the many ways in which such talented young people can develop their interests and careers Read the article

This Educated Mom blog looks at the creation of The Reading Game, a product created by legendary vocabulary book author, Kenneth Hodkinson. After observing his granddaughter in the early stages of wanting to read, Hodkinson created this comprehensive memory-style game to develop early readers with a particular focus on DOLCH words, or sight words. Read the article

Who says the only place to learn new vocabulary words is in an SAT prep book? This Educated Mom blog looks at her family’s recent trip to Colonial Williamsburgh and the trip back into the sayings of the past that have worked their way into modern language, but whose origins may be forgotten. Highlights include: blockhead (used for wigs) and powder room (also for wigs). Read the article

Meet the thoughtful team behind the popular literacy app, Learn with Homer. This Educated Mom blog profiles the literacy expert who helped design much of the content and style of the app, and highlights how a team of creative and inspired developers in Brooklyn have entered the app scene and set a high bar for others. Read the article

This post looks at a poll of 1000 adults to find out why they prefer physical books over e-readers. While they reasons may or may not apply to your child, the results are interesting and could help you decide when each type of book is ideal.
Read the article

Getting younger readers over the intimidation of chapter books can be among a parent's first and most difficult challenges. This blogger provides a helpful top ten list of her favorites with good descriptions of each book's appeals. Read the article

Why study Latin? This post looks at the evidence showing increased performance of students on standardized tests for both verbal and math skills. And best of all, says the author, "It is an exercise in reverse-engineering our own language in order to understand how all the parts fit together to create a whole." Read the article

This post introduces a book funded on Kickstarter. The creator, Sam Barclay, says, "Being dyslexic, one thing always stood out: the available help was always aimed at making me read better. Very little effort was made to help the people around me understand what it feels like to struggle with reading." Read the article

This blog from The New York Times provides hope for dyslexic students, explaining how more frequent reading at early ages can lead to improved success, debunking the idea that the brain is "hard-writed" and can't be changed through expereince. Read the article

This article provides an excellent summary of recent research about the potential downsides of using e-readers for students and gives parents some clues as to how to productively choose and use e-books. Read the article

This research paper examines the role technology can play in improving literacy in children. There are several important takeaways. The first is that technology cannot and should not be avoided; however, schools and parents must embrace "thoughtful adoption". The authors emphasize the importance of Joint Media Engagement, i.e. technology can do wonders but it is not a babysitter; for technology to be most effective parents needs to experience and discuss it with their children. Finally, parents must be selective in their digital technology choices, since most digital media has been created in the past two years and the efficacy of many "educational products" is questionable. Mindprint hopes to help parents solve these problems whenever necessary. Read the article

This article provides a potentially great option for parents of children with dyslexia. A new study shows that customizing e-readers so they display very few words per line can show a measurable improvement in reading comprehension and speed for those with dyslexia. Read the article

This blog provides an excellent explanation of the increased demands for reading in 3rd and 4th grade. The author uses this data to advocate for early intervention for students who show weaknesses. Read the article

Parents who know or suspect their child has a reading problem will appreciate this first person account written by Ben Foss, an entrepreneur and founder of Headstrong Nation, a not-for-profit organization serving the dyslexic community. Foss, who is dyslexic, invented the Intel Reader, a mobile device that takes photos of text and recites it out loud. Read the article

This NY Times Op-Ed is written by a dyslexic author who did not read fluently until age 13. Still, the writer went onto Yale, medical school and much success. The piece highlights research linking specific cognitive strengths with dyslexia. Read the article

This article is a good primer on the key misconceptions about dyslexia. The explanations are quite good and succinct and include information about how the symptoms present in older children who have not yet been diagnosed. Read the article

This article written by a reading specialist emphasizes the importance of identifying learning differences early. The author also explains the Response to Intervention (RTI) program, which is intended to screen for such differences before children slip behind or become discouraged. Read the article

While we live in an age that accepts different approaches to education, there is a "right way" to teach reading, according to this article, an excerpt from Peg Tyre's book, The Good School: How Smart Parents Get Their Kids The Education They Deserve. Tyre advocates an aggressive approach to getting kids on-track with reading in the early grades. Read the article

Keeping a journal as a place for writing and drawing--ungraded by the teacher--is a technique some say can engage students in creative writing and reading. This blog post looks at one teacher's use of the tactic, inspired by a children's book. Read the article

New research confirms an actual improvement in reading skills associated with studying music. This blog in The Washington Post features a post by Daniel Willingham, author of, When Can You Trust The Experts? How to Tell Good Science from Bad in Education. While highlighting the new research, Willingham argues music for music's sake is still to be prized. Read the article

Reading out loud should not end when a child has reached proficiency. In this blog, an elementary school principal lists his top ten take-aways from Jim Trelease's The Read Aloud Handbook. Read the article

This great post, written for a top organization for teachers, will be helpful for parents to consider if they believe their child is an unenthusiastic reader. These universal insights can give parents and teachers a better understanding of how to develop all children into more confident readers. Read the article

The edvocate explains the neurological causes of why some students experience a "brain freeze" during an exam. It provides strategies on how to prevent them, including a few stress relieving techniques and the importance of preparation. Read the article

This Huffington Post blog will offer comfort and optimism to parents who have a bright student who has difficulty with standardized tests and/or slower processing speed. If you are in a similar situation, the takeaway is that parental commitment and individual teachers can make all the difference. Read the article

This psychologist's post explores the signs, potential causes and potential remediations for gifted children who might have slow processing speed. It is an excellent summary for parents concerned about how quickly their bright children can respond and process information. Read the article

This teacher's blog explains why slower working students might have difficulties in the classroom, the importance of understanding the underlying reasons for a student's pace, and strategies for teachers to support their slower-paced students. Read the article

This important new ruling from the Justice Department should make it easier for students to receive the same accommodations on standardized tests as they have in their IEPs or 504 Plans. Read the article

This article begins by acknowledging an important classroom dynamic--that children process information at different rates of speed and that students with slower processing speed can be left behind. The author encourages mindful pauses by teachers. These brief but important pauses level the playing field for students who respond more slowly. It also gives time for speedier thinkers to reflect and better consolidate their learning. Read the article

This Mindprint newsletter discusses that a little bit of anxiety can be good for test taking, but too much anxiety can weaken working memory and hamper performance. The newsletter provides three good test taking strategies that should help boost test performance. Read the article

There may be solutions for a capable child who consistently underperforms on school or standardized tests. Our experts help you understand the potential reasons and suggest strategies that could help depending on the root cause.
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While this article is not an easy read, the key takeaways are essential for parents and teachers. That is, the current system of timed math performance in elementary school leads to a disproportionately high number of children and adults that do not like math and/or have math anxiety. Read the article

This article from non-profit Edutopia provides a good starting point for parents trying to understand the new national standardized curriculum. It provides links to additional resources that can provide additional insight. Read the article

This booklet is designed for parents and students to understand test anxiety and develop coping strategies. The booklet is written for students, but we recommend parents read through it first and decide if they want to selectively share the strategies they believe will work best for their child. Read the article

This article was written to address the specific concerns of students with ADHD or learning disabilities as they prepare for standardized college admissions test. It addresses how to plan in advance and which test may be preferable and why. Read the article

This blog post is part of a series of posts on Mindprint's The Educated Mom that help explain particular cognitive traits and how they relate to children’s experiences in school and home. This post focuses on processing speed, sometimes called information processing, which is the rate at which a person can see or hear information, analyze it, and apply it for the task at hand. Read the article

This is a useful post on information processing disorders, typically categorized as either visual or auditory in nature. The article notes that information processing disorders may not in and of themselves be categorized as learning disabilities but are often at the root of learning difficulties. Read the article

This is an excellent article for parents, giving one mother’s advice on how to shepherd a child through the famously difficult junior year of high school. Although the focus is on 11th grade, the strategies might be best implemented if parents consider the points far earlier, even before their children enter high school. Read the article

This post in Scientific America is written by Scott Barry Kaufman, Director of The Imagination Institute in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Kaufman suggests that the new SAT is still only a measure of, “Convergent thinking: the ability to arrive at the single best answer deemed correct by a select committee.” And we’d do better assessing “Divergent thinking: the ability to generate multiple possibilities, ideas, and solutions to a problem.” Read the article

This post gives straight facts about when to take the SAT and the ACT and how often. While every family should make choices based on their individual situations, parents seeking one strategy for the daunting schedule of test taking might find this month-by-month breakdown a useful reference. Read the article

The Common Core standards and revised teacher evaluation criteria linked to them have been in the news of late, and this Educated Mom blog looks at one neighborhood in Brooklyn that has begun to push back. Described as a neighborhood and school that usually “do what they are supposed to do” the parents, students, and administration of this school found themselves in new territory as they pushed back to the new tests. Read the article

This NPR story explains the results of a new study showing that high school grades are a better predictor of college success than standardized test scores. The College Board announced in March 2014 that the test format would change in 2016 to address this issue. Read the article

Why study Latin? This post looks at the evidence showing increased performance of students on standardized tests for both verbal and math skills. And best of all, says the author, "It is an exercise in reverse-engineering our own language in order to understand how all the parts fit together to create a whole." Read the article

Standardized state achievement tests do not provide the insight or accountability parents and teachers need to help students, says a New York Principal in this opinion piece. He describes parent reactions, which in some cases include opting-out of testing, or sending scores back in protest. Read the article

Two leaders in standardize testing reflect on the state of such testing in the United States today in this interesting Q&A. This article won't help you prepare your child for testing, but it gives background and insight not often found. Read the article

This is a detailed look at the trend towards computerized adaptive tests, which change, or adapt, based on how the student is doing. Such tests involve some expense and may not work well for all subjects, but they are touted as being able to more precisely measure the range of student knowledge, provide faster results, and be more interesting to take. Read the article

This article from Reuters highlights the ongoing conflict surrounding standardized testing, especially in young children. While such testing can be an aid in early identification and intervention, it can also create undo pressure and lead to premature categorizations. Read the article

This blog looks at the conclusions of Yong Zhao, an author and professor of education, who found a correlation between high test scores and lower confidence. Zhao suggests that America's de-centralized approach to education could be the source of the nation's entrepreneurial spirit. Read the article

This article from Marilee Sprenger, a well-known educator and lecturer on neuropsychological issues, explains why students need a solid understanding of the vocabulary used in the common core, freeing their memories and minds to then focus on the work at hand. Read the article

This post on the Huffington Post is written by the head of a tutoring service focused on the New York City region. The author argues that the pSAT is losing its relevance in light of the changing landscape of standardized tests. Read the article

A recent study suggests that some people with anxiety may perform better if they are told to "get excited" rather than to "calm down". While this research is relatively new, parents and teachers may want to try this approach with some students. Read the article

This article on Scholastic was written by a teacher (yes, there's a typo in the article proving even teachers make mistakes) who identifies the key problems many students have when answering essay questions on standardized tests. Parents and students may find her quick pointers helpful to review. Read the article

This mom blog offers perspective to parents on when it might be the right time to call a tutor versus trying to help a child at home. If you are struggling with homework time and trying to decide what to do next, this blog provides what you might want to consider in your decision. Read the article

This Mindprint newsletter provides guidance for parents on when they may need to consider getting advice from a professional to help a struggling child. The newsletter address social, emotional and academic concerns. Read the article

This article from Great Schools addresses the debate over whether or not summer homework is getting more intense (it is) and whether or not is worthwhile (in its typical format, probably not). Read the article

This blog post explains why we should not motivate children to read using material rewards, such as money or prizes. The desire to read needs to come from within to be sustainable. Adults should, however, help children discover a love of reading. The author also promotes the book-a-day challenge for which we have less enthusiasm, as it begins to resemble extrinsic motivation and simply is not manageable for many children. Read the article

Children with learning differences may welcome summer as a break from the pressures of the school year, as all kids do, but they, even more than others, may benefit from keeping up with their studies. In this Educated Mom post, we get summer advice from a teacher who works primarily with children who have learning differences. Read the article

Most teachers acknowledge the fact that children begin the school year having forgotten much of the previous year’s work. Others, however, say, the differentiation is made more obvious because some kids do summer programs to get ahead. The blog from The Educated Mom asks a math teacher to provide parents with some good advice to avoid the summer slide. Read the article

This Educated Mom posts looks at the experiences of a few grown-ups at Mindprint, and relates their most memorable and meaningful summers. Parents looking to enrich their children’s summers may find these perspectives useful. Read the article

This summary piece from Great Schools provides some high level perspective on when you should consider a tutor and the potential options. The article emphasizes the importance of early intervention if a child struggles with fundamental skills such as reading, writing, or completing homework assignments. Read the article

This brief post from a leader in blended learning resources, Getting Smart, provides statistics on the decline in math and reading performance for students who do not supplement over the summer.The post gives three useful suggestions for summer learning that you may not have heard of. Read the article

Students only spend 14% of their waking hours in school during a typical year, leaving a lot of time left for out of school or "informal learning". This article highlights the importance of informal learning and provides suggestions for making the time enjoyable and productive. Read the article

This blog in Education Week is written by a college counselor who suggests teens should use their summers pursuing rigorous learning or work, not light-weight summer programs or internships designed to fill a resume. Read the article

This well-researched article from The Atlantic is an expansive and interesting look at the wave of touch-screen games for kids, and how parents, children, developers and experts are responding. Read the article

The government of South Korea may want children to have a bit more unstructured time away from school, but according to this article, parents are responding to this change in the school week by filling that time with tutoring and additional classes. Read the article

This brief post from Forbes looks at the growing industry of online tutoring. While many students report improved academic performance from such tutoring, the author examines potential shortcomings. Read the article

Scholastic provides a detailed explanation of the steps every child progresses through while learning to spell. Initially spelling is based on visual memory but then progress to more associative spelling where students must understand patterns and logical associations. Read the article

The Week wrote this for adults but its lessons will easily apply to students who are struggling with anxiety or loss. The article explains how writing about your feelings for as little as 20 minutes a day for four consecutive days can have a meaningful beneficial impact on emotional well-being. Read the article

This teacher 's blog helps parents understand how teachers view the intersection between spelling and writing, and why teachers might be less focused on spelling mistakes in early elementary school than parents might expect. Read the article

Public speaking is a critical life skill, but it is often overlooked in the classroom. Maybe that's why speaking in front of an audience is considered to be most people's number one fear. This edutopia article coaches teachers on how they can easily and effectively develop speaking skills in the classroom. Read the article

This blog from educator and author Starr Sackstein provides excellent advice to encourage reluctant writers to grow comfortable expressing their inner voice. One of our favorites is "getting rid of the red pen." Read the article

Speaking and writing are critical academic and life skills that develop over time. Our experts provide rough benchmarks of what to expect and what steps you should consider if your child seems to be lagging behind peers. Read the article

This advice from an experienced introvert-turned-teacher guides teachers on how they can effectively work with reluctant speakers. Parents of introverts may want to consider sharing this article with their child or child's teacher to find a comfortable solution for both student and teacher. Read the article

This progress checker from a UK non-profit can be a helpful way to see if your child's communication development is following a typical progression. If you have lingering concerns after reading this information, we recommend you consult your pediatrician or school. Read the article

This is a great blog directed for teachers of upper elementary and middle school students to guide them on reinforcing basic writing skills. However, parents can read it to better understand age-appropriate writing development and how they might help their child's writing if they want to get more involved in instruction. Read the article

The Atlantic cautions adults about the link between increased use of social media and increased prevalence in social anxiety among teens. While social media undoubtedly helps some, the researcher says that “Now young people can’t look you in the eye, they get antsy talking to you in person." The article explores all the negative consequences of social anxiety. Read the article

This blog post from The Educated Mom discusses the importance of learning a poem by heart, or committing it to memory. The post looks at initiatives in England, a country known for its public support of poetry and drama, and relates learning a poem to owning a great piece of art because it is carried within. For those looking for ways to improve their child’s memory, sense of literature, or emotional outlets, this post provides a link to a collection of poems. Read the article

This spot-on article from Fast Company is written for adults who need to speak in the workplace, but the recommendations are applicable to students in middle school and beyond who need to make oral presentations. Read the article

This article makes the case for the continued teaching of handwriting and spelling. The author calls on scientific evidence to explain how handwriting and spelling skills are foundational skills for reading fluency. Read the article

This article provides some creative examples of how mobile technology enables cheating. Perhaps of greater concern is that some students may be cheating without believing they are behaving inappropriately. Read the article

This is a great blog looking at a recent study by Pew Research, "The Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing and How Writing is Taught in Schools." On the positive side, students are more comfortable writing for an audience and receiving feedback. However, technology has had some negative impacts the study found, from not understanding copyright laws to a decreased awareness of when to choose a more formal style. Read the article

This post looks at a unique connection between a group of 6th graders and 12th graders on opposite sides of the country. The older students have edited the younger students' writing, a peer relationship that has reportedly had benefits for both groups. Read the article

This article looks at how high school debating teams are integrating technology. While the oral debate is still prized, students are making use of the ability to research and post supporting arguments online, and may tap into the ability to debate teams remotely.What Do You Think? Read the article

The "curse of expertise" is a term used to describe the inability of an expert to actually explain what they know to those who want to learn. This post looks at simple ways to break this curse, which may be particularly helpful to parents helping their children with homework, or even to those who are learning, as they seek better ways to communicate with experts and teachers. Read the article

Keeping a journal as a place for writing and drawing--ungraded by the teacher--is a technique some say can engage students in creative writing and reading. This blog post looks at one teacher's use of the tactic, inspired by a children's book. Read the article

This article on Scholastic was written by a teacher (yes, there's a typo in the article proving even teachers make mistakes) who identifies the key problems many students have when answering essay questions on standardized tests. Parents and students may find her quick pointers helpful to review. Read the article

This NPR story includes interviews with researchers who explain how the physical act of writing enhances brain development around skills including comprehension, grammar and spelling. Contrary to many beliefs, there is no proof that cursive is more effective than print, but both are far more effective than typing. Read the article

Executive Functions

This excellent Washington Post article by Phyllis Fagell helps parents understand what they need to do when they notice a change in their child's academic or school behavior. The author does an excellent job providing solutions for the most common situations parents might face. Read the article

This lengthy research article goes into details on the different sub-categories of executive functions, how they are measured, and how deficits in these skills can affect learning, behavior and life skills. Table 1 provides research on life challenges when executive function deficits are not addressed. Read the article

This helpful post explains some of the similarities and differences of ADHD vs. specific learning disabilities (SLD). Treatment and intervention options will differ based on the diagnosis. Read the article

This Scientific American Q&A explains how background noise can affect focus and retention. The key takeaway is that students really should not be studying with the television on or in a room where others are talking. Note to readers: There are other articles in our collection that explain how soft music might be acceptable, and potentially even beneficial for some.Read the article

This Huffington Post blog from a pediatrician provides succinct planning advice for parents of students with ADHD who are preparing for college. Students with ADHD can be very successful at college but they might need additional supports for organization and time management as they grapple with the lack of structure in many college environments. Read the article

This article highlights a research study showing how even students with mild, unidentified attention weaknesses can fall behind in school. Fortunately, there are simple strategies teachers can use to support these children, but they must be aware of who needs this support. The research focuses on students as young as 6. Mindprint can identify mild attention weaknesses